lunar

adjective

lu·​nar ˈlü-nər How to pronounce lunar (audio)
also -ˌnär
1
: crescent, lunate
Who grasps the struggling heifer's lunar horns.—Alexander Pope
2
a
: of, relating to, or resembling the moon
lunar craters
a lunar landscape
b
: designed for use on the moon
lunar vehicles
3
: measured by the moon's revolution
lunar month

Examples of lunar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The darkening will be incredibly subtle compared to that of a partial lunar eclipse, where the moon passes into Earth's intense inner shadow — the umbra — revealing our planet's curved silhouette on the lunar surface. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Schmitt noted that his mission — Apollo’s last moonshot — was the most productive lunar exploration yet. — Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The remainder of the moon will take on a reddish-brown hue because sunlight bends around Earth and illuminates the lunar surface indirectly. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026 About 226,000 miles away on the lunar surface, however, the shadow is a bit less defined. — Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lunar

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lunare, borrowed from Latin lūnāris "of the moon, crescent-shaped," from lūna "moon" + -āris -ar; lūna going back to Indo-European *lou̯k-s-neh2, derivative of the verb stem *leu̯k- "become bright," whence also Old Church Slavic luna "moon," Russian luná, Old Prussian lauxnos "stars," Armenian lusin "moon"; from a stem *lou̯k-s-no- Old Irish lúan in día lúain "Monday," Avestan raoxšna- "light," (with presumed zero-grade) Greek lýkhnos "lamp" — more at light entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lunar was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing lunar

Rhymes for lunar

See All Rhymes for lunar

Browse Nearby Words

Luna Park
lunar
lunar appulse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lunar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lunar. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lunar

adjective
lu·​nar ˈlü-nər How to pronounce lunar (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling the moon
lunar craters
a lunar landscape
2
: measured by the moon's revolution
lunar month

Medical Definition

lunar

adjective
lu·​nar
ˈlü-nər also -ˌnär
: lunate
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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