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)
Examples of primate in a Sentence
the Primate of England and Wales
Recent Examples on the Web
This study is a great reminder that one primate’s junk can be another primate’s (genetic) treasure!
—
Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2025
The eagle may have just seen these humans as another primate—a common food item, though their main prey is usually sloths, Miranda says.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
Not all primates show evidence of such complicated communication.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 11 May 2025
The tourists may have interrupted the eagle while feeding on the primate or while hunting the paca, prompting the raptor to attack in defense of its prey.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for primate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2025
The eagle may have just seen these humans as another primate—a common food item, though their main prey is usually sloths, Miranda says.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
Not all primates show evidence of such complicated communication.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 11 May 2025
The tourists may have interrupted the eagle while feeding on the primate or while hunting the paca, prompting the raptor to attack in defense of its prey.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for primate
Cite this Entry
“Primate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
primate
noun
pri·mate
ˈprī-ˌmāt 
or especially for 1 -mət
1
: a bishop or archbishop of the highest rank in a district, nation, or church
2
: any of an order of mammals that are characterized by hands and feet that grasp, a relatively large complex brain, and vision in which objects are seen in three dimensions and that includes human beings, apes, monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers)
Medical Definition
primate
noun
pri·mate
ˈprī-ˌmāt
: any mammal of the order Primates
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share