hominoid
noun
hom·i·noid
ˈhä-mə-ˌnȯid 
: any of a superfamily (Hominoidea) of primates including recent hominids, gibbons, and pongids together with extinct ancestral and related forms (as of the genera Proconsul and Dryopithecus)
hominoid
adjective
Examples of hominoid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Winged insects, precursors to dragonflies, first appeared about 400 million years ago, long before the earliest hominoid showed up between 2 and 6 million years ago.
—
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025
Recent research has indicated that tool use may have very deep roots among hominoids—the group of primates that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons, bonobos and humans.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Other studies found that environmental changes could have led to evolution because limited resources or changes in habitat may have forced early hominoids to move to more suitable climates or learn other ways to obtain food.
—Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024
Its enormous size—13 inches—also suggests a magnificent hominoid, a King Kong type of image!
—National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025
Recent research has indicated that tool use may have very deep roots among hominoids—the group of primates that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons, bonobos and humans.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Other studies found that environmental changes could have led to evolution because limited resources or changes in habitat may have forced early hominoids to move to more suitable climates or learn other ways to obtain food.
—Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024
Its enormous size—13 inches—also suggests a magnificent hominoid, a King Kong type of image!
—National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Hominoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hominoid. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hominoid
noun
hom·i·noid
ˈhäm-ə-ˌnȯid
: any member of the superfamily Hominoidea
also
: an animal that resembles humans
hominoid
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share