Meanings
primate1
primate2
plural primates
- ChristianityIn 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.
The Archbishop of Quebec is the primate of Canada.
- ChristianityIn 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.
- ChristianityIn the Anglican Church, an archbishop, or the highest-ranking bishop of an ecclesiastic province.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
primate · noun
- Latinprīmās, prīmātis“one of the first, chief, excellent, noble”
- Frenchprimate
- Englishprimate
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.
Full word history & related roots →primate · noun
- Late Latinprīmās, prīmātis“chief bishop”
- Old Frenchprimat
- Middle Englishprimat(e)
- Englishprimate
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans primaat
- primaatmammal
Arabic رَئِيسِيَّات
- رَئِيسِيَّات (raʔīsiyyāt)mammal
Bulgarian прима́т, архиепи́скоп
- прима́т (primát)mammal
- архиепи́скоп (arhiepískop)archbishop or bishop
Catalan primat, primat
- primatmammal
- primatarchbishop or bishop
Chinese Mandarin 靈長目動物 /灵长目动物, 靈長目 /灵长目
- 靈長目動物 /灵长目动物 (língzhǎngmù dòngwù)mammal
- 靈長目 /灵长目 (língzhǎngmù)mammal
- 總主教 /总主教 (zǒngzhǔjiào)archbishop or bishop
Czech primát, nehetnatec
- primátmammal
- nehetnatecmammal
Danish primat
- primatmammal
Dutch primaat, primaat
- primaatmammal
- primaatarchbishop or bishop
Estonian esikloomaline, primaat
- esikloomalinemammal
- primaatmammal
Finnish kädellinen, priimas
- kädellinenmammal
- priimasarchbishop or bishop
French primate, primat
- primatemammal
- primatarchbishop or bishop
German Primat, Primat
- Primatmammal
- Primatarchbishop or bishop
- Primasarchbishop or bishop
Greek πρωτεύον
- πρωτεύον (protévon)mammal
Hebrew פְּרִימָט
- פְּרִימָטmammal
Hindi नरवानर
- नरवानर (narvānar)mammal
Hungarian főemlős, prímás
- főemlősmammal
- prímásarchbishop or bishop
Icelandic prímati, fremdardýr
- prímatimammal
- fremdardýrmammal
- prímatiarchbishop or bishop
Indonesian primata
- primatamammal
Italian primati, primate
- primatimammal
- primatemammal
- primatearchbishop or bishop
Japanese 霊長類, 大主教
- 霊長類 (reichōrui)mammal
- 大主教 (daishukyō)archbishop or bishop
Korean 영장류, 령장류
- 영장류 (yeongjangnyu)mammal
- 령장류 (ryeongjangnyu)mammal
- 대주교 (daejugyo)archbishop or bishop
Latin prīmās
- prīmāsarchbishop or bishop
Latvian primāts
- primātsmammal
Lithuanian primatas
- primatasmammal
Malay primat
- primatmammal
Māori pīhopa mātāmua, paraimete
- pīhopa mātāmuaarchbishop or bishop
- paraimetearchbishop or bishop
Norwegian Bokmål primat
- primatmammal
Persian نخستیسان, نخستی
- نخستیسان (noxosti-sân)mammal
- نخستی (noxosti)mammal
Polish naczelny, prymas
- naczelnymammal
- prymasarchbishop or bishop
Portuguese primata, primado
- primatamammal
- primadoarchbishop or bishop
Romanian primat, primat
- primatmammal
- primatarchbishop or bishop
Russian прима́т, архиепи́скоп
- прима́т (primát)mammal
- архиепи́скоп (arxijepískop)archbishop or bishop
- епи́скоп (jepískop)archbishop or bishop
- прима́с (primás)archbishop or bishop
Slovak primát
- primátmammal
Spanish primate, primado
- primatemammal
- primadoarchbishop or bishop
Swedish primat
- primatmammal
Thai ไพรเมต
- ไพรเมต (prai-mèet)mammal
Turkish primat
- primatmammal
Ukrainian прима́т
- прима́т (prymát)mammal
Vietnamese động vật có tay, động vật linh trưởng
- động vật có taymammal
- động vật linh trưởngmammal
- tổng giám mụcarchbishop or bishop
Yiddish פּרימאַט
- פּרימאַט (primat)mammal
Cite this entry
primate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primate
“primate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “primate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primate.
Source: primate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.