great ape

noun

: any of several large primates including the orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo that are either placed in the same family (Hominidae) as humans or are grouped in a separate family (Pongidae)

Examples of great ape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Orangutans would also pull on each other’s hair, which Laumer suggests is because their hair tends to be longer than the other great ape species. Jack Guy, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 In a new paper, published today in PLOS ONE, a team of scientists found that young children from diverse cultural backgrounds have the ability to anticipate other peoples’ food preferences—but nonhuman great apes do not. Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 To better understand playful teasing and its role in social situations, the researchers analyzed 75 total hours of footage from great ape habitats in the San Diego and Leipzig zoos. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Chimpanzees belong to the Hominidae family, which includes the great apes: gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and humans. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024 Standing nearly ten feet tall and weighing up to 660 pounds, the largest great apes to ever live—called Gigantopithecus blacki—roamed modern-day China for nearly two million years. Ella Weaver, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024 Regardless of the human participants’ preference, most of the great apes reached for their preferred food (bananas or pasta) over their least favorite (radishes). Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 Humans take much longer to grow up than other great apes, which may be related to our larger brains and more complex cognitive skills. Samuel Axon and Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 5 June 2023 Scientists have long known about great apes’ stellar memories. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'great ape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great ape was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near great ape

Cite this Entry

“Great ape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20ape. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

great ape

noun
: any of a family of apes that includes the gorilla, orangutan, and chimpanzee

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