Illustration of orangutan
orangutan
noun
orang·u·tan
ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ 
-ˈraŋ-gə-,
-ˌtan
: a largely herbivorous arboreal anthropoid ape (Pongo pygmaeus) of Borneo and Sumatra that is about ²/₃ as large as the gorilla and has brown skin, long sparse reddish-brown hair, and very long arms
Examples of orangutan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Power of Mama, Borneo Borneo’s first all-female firefighter team has been helping to restore local peatlands, protecting wildlife (including endangered orangutans) and empowering local women since 2022.
—
Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
That’s had deadly consequences for species like orangutans in Indonesia.
—Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
That's why humans are the dominant species, not orangutans.
—TIME, 13 Feb. 2024
After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy survives on a lifeboat with four companions — a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.
—The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024
In the years since that encounter, Cartmill and her colleagues have analyzed 75 hours of footage from two zoos of chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas exhibiting similarly impish behavior.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024
Today, only gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans remain.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
The little orangutan wasn’t transfering the stick to her mother or necessarily inviting her to play.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024
Chimpanzees are, in fact, part of the Hominidae family, a group that includes gorillas, orangutans, and us humans.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
That’s had deadly consequences for species like orangutans in Indonesia.
—Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
That's why humans are the dominant species, not orangutans.
—TIME, 13 Feb. 2024
After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy survives on a lifeboat with four companions — a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.
—The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024
In the years since that encounter, Cartmill and her colleagues have analyzed 75 hours of footage from two zoos of chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas exhibiting similarly impish behavior.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024
Today, only gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans remain.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
The little orangutan wasn’t transfering the stick to her mother or necessarily inviting her to play.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024
Chimpanzees are, in fact, part of the Hominidae family, a group that includes gorillas, orangutans, and us humans.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orangutan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near orangutan
Cite this Entry
“Orangutan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orangutan. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share