Meaning & use
anthropoid
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A primate belonging to the group of apes, monkeys and humans, especially one of the large tailless apes such as a gorilla or chimpanzee.
Grammar: Countable: an anthropoid, several anthropoids; often used in zoology texts.
Patterns
- anthropoid apes
- anthropoid primates
Chimpanzees and gorillas are anthropoids with no tail.
The zoo's anthropoid exhibit includes orangutans.
Early anthropoids lived in the trees of Africa and Asia.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Looking like a human being, or having a body shape similar to one.
Grammar: Used before a noun: an anthropoid ape, anthropoid skeleton.
Patterns
- anthropoid ape
- anthropoid features
The anthropoid skull has a larger brain case than that of other monkeys.
The figure in the museum had anthropoid features and long arms.
The robot had an anthropoid shape, with two arms and two legs.
Word forms
| plural | anthropoids |
|---|
Common combinations
- anthropoid ape
- The gorilla is the largest anthropoid ape.
- anthropoid primate
- Researchers compared an anthropoid primate with a lemur.
- anthropoid features
- The statue has anthropoid features but a tail.
- anthropoid evolution
- Fossils shed light on anthropoid evolution.
- anthropoid skeleton
- The anthropoid skeleton displayed in class had a broad chest.
Synonyms and how they differ
- humanlike
- Humanlike is a plain everyday word for resembling people, while anthropoid is a scientific term mostly tied to primates.
- simian
- Simian means relating to monkeys and apes in general, while anthropoid focuses on the more humanlike primates.
- ape
- Ape names a specific kind of animal; anthropoid is a broader term for a group or a quality of resemblance.
Word family
- anthropology noun
- The study of human beings and their cultures.
- anthropomorphic adjective
- Given human form or qualities, as when animals act like people.
- misanthrope noun
- A person who dislikes other people.
- philanthropy noun
- Giving money to help others.
Commonly confused: anthropoid or android? anthropoid or anthropomorphic?
anthropoid vs android
An android is a robot built to look human; an anthropoid is a primate or something resembling a human.
anthropoid vs anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphic means having human qualities attributed to a non-human, whereas anthropoid means resembling humans in physical form.
Practice
The curator described the skeleton as ______ because it showed the long arms and large brain case typical of the primates closest to humans.
Choose one answer.
Anthropoid describes humanlike primate features. Arboreal means tree-dwelling, which is tempting but does not describe a humanlike form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anthropoid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.