lunar

adjective

lu·​nar ˈlü-nər How to pronounce lunar (audio)
 also  -ˌnär
1
: crescent, lunate
who grasps the struggling heifer's lunar hornsAlexander 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.
Because the moon lacks a magnetic field like Earth's, the barren lunar surface is constantly bombarded by energetic particles from the sun; these particles make up the solar wind. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Blue Ghost will land on the lunar far side carrying LuSee Night, which will deploy directly from the spacecraft. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2025 Last year, Pakistan sent a satellite to the Moon aboard China’s lunar explorer, alongside payloads from the European Space Agency, France, and Italy, according to Chinese state media. Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025 As a reusable cislunar transport system, Sunbird can deliver up to 3,300 pounds of supplies to lunar orbit, which would support operations like fuel processing and spacecraft navigation. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Lunar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lunar. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lunar

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