Apes are our cousins and primate relatives.
Source: tatoeba (6318593)
Primate
/ˈpɹaɪmeɪt/
Synonyms for "primate" (161 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (33)
Strong matches (48)
Related words (80)
iron age manlangurlemurmacaquemammalmammalianmanman of oldmandrillmarmosetmarsupialmarsupialianmetropolitanmissing linkmonkeymountain gorillaneanderthal manneolithic manold hatold-fashioned
Show 52 more words
old-timeyoldfangledomnivoreorangorangutanoreopithecusout of fashionout of seasonout-of-dateoutdatedoutmodedpapaparanthropuspatriarchpeking manpenitentiarypithecanthropusplesianthropuspontiffpopepreadamiteprebendaryprehistoric manprehumanprelateprimitiveproboscis monkeyprotohumanquadrupedrectorreptilerhesusrhodesian manrodentruminantrural deansakiscavengersinanthropusstone age manstylelesssubdeansuffraganswanscombe mantroglodyteunfashionableungulatevarmintverminvertebratevicarzinjanthropus
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aboriginal, aborigine, abuna, amphibian, ancient.
- Sentence evidence is available for primate, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "primate".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "primate"
Keep "primate" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "primate" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "primate", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "primate" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriesprimate anatomyprimate behaviorprimate cognitionprimate evolutionprimate genomeprimate species
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is the smallest primate in the world.
Source: tatoeba (8904347)
According to Tom, the theory of evolution by random mutations and natural selection is not convincing for several reasons, the most important of which is the existence of DNA. Among other unacceptable points, Tom adds, this theory claims that the human mind – Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Shakespeare, Descartes, Da Vinci, Mozart, Einstein, Darwin himself – evolved from the mind of an unidentified primate, which would be our ancestor.
Source: tatoeba (10574180)
At Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute, a chimpanzee is performing a task that is impossible for a person to do, revealing how chimp cognition can mirror—and in some cases surpass—the capabilities of the human brain.
Source: tatoeba (10984187)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "primate"?
Closest matches include aboriginal, aborigine, abuna, amphibian, ancient.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "primate"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.