simian

[ sim-ee-uhn ]

noun

1. any of the monkeys or apes, classified into two subdivisions, the platyrrhines (New World monkeys) and the catarrhines (Old World monkeys and apes, including humans). haplorhine.
2. Disparaging and Offensive. (used as a slur against a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, especially a Black person.)

adjective

1. of or relating to any of the monkeys or apes.
2. characteristic of apes or monkeys:

   long, simian fingers.

3. Disparaging and Offensive. (used to describe a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, especially a Black person.)

simian

/ ˈsɪmɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a monkey or ape Also (rare)simiousˈsɪmɪəs

noun

1. a monkey or ape

simian

/ sĭm′ē-ən /

Adjective

1. Resembling or characteristic of apes or monkeys.

Noun

1. An ape or monkey. Ther term simian is no longer used in scientific contexts.
2. Compare prosimian

Sensitive Note

See simianization.

Other Words From

• sim·i·an·i·ty [sim-ee-, an, -i-tee], noun
• sub·sim·i·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of simian¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin sīmi(a) “an ape,” probably from the Greek nickname and personal name Sīmiās (derivative of sīmus “flat-nosed, snub-nosed,” from Greek sīmós ) + -an adjective suffix; -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of simian¹

C17: from Latin sīmia an ape, probably from sīmus flat-nosed, from Greek sīmos

Example Sentences

So when the simian characters scale a massive structure in the breathtaking opening sequence of “Kingdom” or wander through a lush forest landscape reshaped by hundreds of years of plant growth, you’re seeing visual art that was built to never be noticed.

From Seattle Times

Now this reading I remember almost verbatim because upon noticing that my head and heart lines were merged as one — a Simian line, the ultimate representation of determination — the reader told me that if I were a man, she’d advise me to run for president one day.

From Los Angeles Times

Athapol said people shouldn’t see monkeys as villians, saying that the authorities might have not been efficient enough in their work to control the simian population.

From Seattle Times

I am a first-generation Irish American who is fairly steeped in the reflections of me and mine in popular culture — from the simian Irish caricatures of Thomas Nast to Christopher’s nightmare in “The Sopranos” that hell is an Irish bar called the Emerald Piper.

From New York Times

I am a first-generation Irish American who is fairly steeped in the reflections of me and mine in popular culture — from the simian Irish caricatures of Thomas Nast to Christopher’s nightmare in “The Sopranos” that hell is an Irish bar called the Emerald Piper.

From New York Times