Synonyms

orangutan

American

[aw-rang-oo-tan, oh-rang-, uh-rang-] / ɔˈræŋ ʊˌtæn, oʊˈræŋ-, əˈræŋ- /

Also orang-utan;

noun

either of two species of long-armed, arboreal great ape, the only extant members of the subfamily Ponginae, inhabiting Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus ) and Sumatra (P. abelii ): both species, including all three of the Bornean subspecies, are endangered.

Etymology

Origin of orangutan

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Dutch orang outang, apparently from Malay: literally, “forest man” ( Malay orang “man, person” + (h)utan “forest”

Compare meaning

How does orangutan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

orangutan vs. chimpanzee

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The zoo added that Punch was becoming less reliant on the stuffed orangutan toy because increasing numbers of monkeys were looking after or playing with him.

From Barron's

But the joy that little monkey feels for his orangutan, which he uses as shield, surrogate and playmate, is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

From Los Angeles Times

Six-month-old Punch became an internet sensation after footage of him clinging forlornly to zookeepers and dragging around a stuffed orangutan toy were widely shared on X.

From Barron's

The area is home to the world's rarest great ape, the tapanuli orangutan, just 800 of which were believed to exist in the wild before the disaster.

From Barron's

In October, orangutan mother Kalim had a baby offspring from father Isim, raising the number of Bornean orangutans at the zoo to seven.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023