Chordate: any of a phylum (Chordata) of animals having at least at some stage of development a notochord, dorsally situated central nervous system, and gill slits and including the vertebrates, lancelets, and tunicates.

A chordate is an animal constituting the phylum Chordata. During some period of their life cycle, chordates possess a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail: these five anatomical features define this phylum.