Skip to content

primate

primate

noun pree-MAHT Rare
Animals & Nature Mammals

Origin: Latin primas ('of the first rank'), applied to the mammal order by Linnaeus

Usage Note

Primate covers all members of the order Primates — monkeys, apes, and humans. In biology, les primates non humains distinguishes other primates from people. The separate noun un primat (without the final 'e') is the ecclesiastical term for a high-ranking archbishop.

Examples

"Les grands singes sont des primates très intelligents."

Natural Translation

Great apes are very intelligent primates.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic