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
But Goodall also observed the primates in warfare and cannibalism — along with manifestations of empathy and communal rearing of offspring orphaned by poachers.
—
Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Throughout the animal kingdom, from tiny gnats to fish, birds, gazelles, even primates like us, creatures tend to organize into large moving patterns that pursue a seemingly spontaneous collective goal.
—Quanta Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for primate 
Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Throughout the animal kingdom, from tiny gnats to fish, birds, gazelles, even primates like us, creatures tend to organize into large moving patterns that pursue a seemingly spontaneous collective goal.
—Quanta Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for primate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primate.' 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 primate
Cite this Entry
“Primate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primate. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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
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