primate

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪmeɪt/ Hyphenation: pri‧mate === Etymology 1 === First attested in 1876. From French primate, from the substantivization of Latin prīmās, prīmātis (“one of the first, chief, excellent, noble”), same as Etymology 2. So named due to the belief that primates are the highest order of mammals or animals. ==== Noun ==== primate (plural primates) (zoology) A mammal of the order Primates, comprising of apes (including humans), monkeys, lemurs, tarsiers, lorisids, and galagos. (informal) An anthropoid; ape including human. ===== Hyponyms ===== See also Thesaurus:primate ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === First attested in c. 1275. From Middle English primat(e), from Old French primat (French primat), from Late Latin prīmās, prīmātis (“chief bishop”), substantivisation of prīmās (same as Etymology 1), from prīmus (“prime, first in rank (also as a substantive)”). Compare English primus, of similar derivation and meaning. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪmeɪt/, /ˈpɹaɪmət/ ==== Noun ==== primate (plural primates) (Christianity) In the Catholic Church, a rare title conferred to or claimed by the sees of certain archbishops, or the highest-ranking bishop of a present or historical, usually political circumscription. (Christianity) In the Orthodox Church, the presiding bishop of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction or region. Usually, the expression primate refers to the first hierarch of an autocephalous or autonomous Orthodox church. Less often, it is used to refer to the ruling bishop of an archdiocese or diocese. (Christianity) In the Anglican Church, an archbishop, or the highest-ranking bishop of an ecclesiastic province. ===== Usage notes ===== To disambiguate from sense 1, which is always pronounced /'pɹaɪmeɪt/, sense 2 is often pronounced /ˈpɹaɪmət/ (rhymes with "climate"), but it can also be pronounced the same as sense 1. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== primatial primus ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== ultimate exarch patriarch == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /pʁi.mat/ === Noun === primate m (plural primates) primate (mammal) (colloquial) a coarse man (male) === See also === primat m primauté primatie === Further reading === “primate”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Anagrams === empirât, trempai == Galician == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /pɾiˈmate/ [pɾiˈma.t̪ɪ] Rhymes: -ate Hyphenation: pri‧ma‧te === Noun === primate m (plural primates) primate (animal) == Italian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /priˈma.te/ Rhymes: -ate Hyphenation: pri‧mà‧te === Noun === primate m (plural primati) primate (ecclesiastical title) ==== Related terms ==== primati (mammals) (plurale tantum) primato (primacy) === Anagrams === impetra, tempari, temprai == Serbo-Croatian == === Verb === primate (Cyrillic spelling примате) second-person plural present of primati == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /pɾiˈmate/ [pɾiˈma.t̪e] Rhymes: -ate Syllabification: pri‧ma‧te === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Latin prīmātem (“first, principal; hero”). ==== Noun ==== primate m (plural primates) primate (animal) === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== primate second-person singular voseo imperative of primar combined with te === Further reading === “primate”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025