non-primate
|non-pri-mate|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈpraɪmət/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈpraɪmət/
not a primate
Etymology
'non-primate' originates from English by combining the prefix 'non-' and the word 'primate'. The prefix 'non-' comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', and 'primate' comes from Latin 'primat-' ultimately from 'primus' meaning 'first'.
'primate' entered English from Medieval Latin 'primatus' and Latin 'primus' (meaning 'first' or 'chief'); in modern English the negative prefix 'non-' (a later English formation using Latin-derived 'non-') has been attached to form compounds such as 'non-primate'.
Originally 'primate' carried senses related to being 'first' or 'chief' (including ecclesiastical uses); over time it developed the zoological sense 'member of the order Primates', and 'non-primate' simply negates that zoological category to mean 'not a primate'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an animal or organism that is not a member of the order Primates.
The study included non-primate animals for comparison with primates.
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Adjective 1
not belonging to or characteristic of the primates.
Researchers compared primate and non-primate species to study differences in social behavior.
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Last updated: 2026/01/17 09:40