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Definition of hominid

hominid

/ˈhɑːmɪnɪd/
hom · i · nid
Plural:hominids
•
Adjective:hominid
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hominid Lexical Profile

hominid Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A primate of the taxonomic family Hominidae, which encompasses modern humans, extinct human ancestors, and all modern great apes.

Example

"Fossil discoveries in the East African Rift Valley have dramatically expanded our understanding of early hominid evolution."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for hominid

Word Nuance & Usage

Historically, 'hominid' referred strictly to humans and their direct evolutionary ancestors, but modern taxonomic classifications now include all great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans) in the family Hominidae, while 'hominin' is now the preferred term for the restricted human lineage.

• Rhymes for hominid

• Nearby Words

homily
hominess
homing
hominid
hominy
homo
homoerotic

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 19th century from Modern Latin 'Hominidae', derived from Latin 'homo' (man, human) and the taxonomic family suffix '-idae'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Hominid. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/hominid
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