primate
noun
pri·mate 
ˈprī-ˌmāt,
or especially for sense 1
-mət 1
often capitalized : a bishop who has precedence in a province, a group of provinces, or a nation
2
archaic : one first in authority or rank : leader
3
: any of an order (Primates) of mammals that are characterized especially by advanced development of binocular vision resulting in stereoscopic depth perception, specialization of the hands and feet for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, monkeys, and related forms (such as lemurs and tarsiers)
primateship
ˈprī-ˌmāt-ˌship
noun primatial
prī-ˈmā-shəl
adjective 
Example Sentences
the Primate of England and Wales
Recent Examples on the Web The primate escaped from the Kharkiv Zoo and at first appeared reluctant to return, based on footage of the chimp, named Chichi, exploring the streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. 
Amanda Taylor, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2022 In April, Cumming, 57, teamed up with PETA to find out what happened to Tonka, the actor's animal costar from the 1997 family comedy Buddy, offering $10,000 for information leading to the primate's location. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 8 June 2022 In Indonesia, which is plagued with peat fires, primatologist and ecologist Wendy Erb of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has studied smoke’s effect on another primate, the orangutan. Wired, 28 July 2022 But early tests on gibbons, another primate, failed miserably. Brenna Maloney, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 In an update on Saturday morning, police tweeted that there was still one monkey unaccounted for, before a follow-up statement that same night alerted residents that each primate had been found. Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 23 Jan. 2022 This iconic primate is a close relative of the baboon, and can be found only in the Ethiopian Highlands, a spectacularly beautiful natural region located in the western portion of Ethiopia. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 18 May 2022 After this diagnosis, the primate developed an irregular heartbeat and had a heart monitor placed in 2017. Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022 Video footage showed the dog unexpectedly enter the gorilla exhibit at the zoo's Safari Park, and onlookers can be heard trying to lure the dog away from the primate. Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 14 June 2022 See More
Amanda Taylor, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2022 In April, Cumming, 57, teamed up with PETA to find out what happened to Tonka, the actor's animal costar from the 1997 family comedy Buddy, offering $10,000 for information leading to the primate's location. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 8 June 2022 In Indonesia, which is plagued with peat fires, primatologist and ecologist Wendy Erb of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has studied smoke’s effect on another primate, the orangutan. Wired, 28 July 2022 But early tests on gibbons, another primate, failed miserably. Brenna Maloney, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 In an update on Saturday morning, police tweeted that there was still one monkey unaccounted for, before a follow-up statement that same night alerted residents that each primate had been found. Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 23 Jan. 2022 This iconic primate is a close relative of the baboon, and can be found only in the Ethiopian Highlands, a spectacularly beautiful natural region located in the western portion of Ethiopia. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 18 May 2022 After this diagnosis, the primate developed an irregular heartbeat and had a heart monitor placed in 2017. Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022 Video footage showed the dog unexpectedly enter the gorilla exhibit at the zoo's Safari Park, and onlookers can be heard trying to lure the dog away from the primate. Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 14 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English primat, primate, borrowed from Anglo-French primat, primas, borrowed from Late Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "chief, superior, chief bishop," noun derivative of Latin prīmāt-, prīmās "of the highest rank, noble," from prīmus "first, foremost" + -āt-, -ās, adjective-forming suffix, originally from place names; (sense 3) after New Latin Primates (order name introduced by linnaeus), plural of Latin prīmās — more at prime entry 2
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
primate
noun
pri·mate ˈprī-ˌmāt
: any of a group of mammals that includes humans together with the apes and monkeys and a few related forms
Medical Definition
primate
noun
pri·mate ˈprī-ˌmāt
: any mammal of the order Primates