lunar
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the moon.
the lunar orbit.
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measured by the moon's revolutions.
a lunar month.
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resembling the moon; round or crescent-shaped.
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of or relating to silver.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to the moon
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occurring on, used on, or designed to land on the surface of the moon
lunar module
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relating to, caused by, or measured by the position or orbital motion of the moon
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of or containing silver
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Relating to the Moon.
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Measured by the revolution of the Moon around the Earth.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lunar
First recorded in 1585–95, lunar is from the Latin word lūnāris of the moon. See Luna, -ar 1
Explanation
The adjective lunar is used to describe something that is related to the moon. If you like astronomy, you probably enjoy lunar eclipses, when the Earth casts its shadow on the moon. Lunar comes from the Latin word luna, meaning moon. The Roman goddess of the moon is called Luna (Selene in Greek mythology). There are lunar eclipses, a lunar calendar, lunar tides, and lunar orbits. Maybe you want to be the first live-in chef on a lunar space station. You can also hear lunar in the word lunatic — they used to think insanity was related to the cycles of the moon.
Vocabulary lists containing lunar
Over The Moon: Planetary Vocabulary
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Eclipse Vocabulary
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February Vocabulary Words
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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.
To determine what happens to these chemicals during fireworks displays, researchers measured amines in both gases and airborne particles during Lunar New Year celebrations in a suburban area of China.
From Science Daily • Jul. 4, 2026
The family takes five days off during Lunar New Year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
Despite the double-digit growth, Tencent's quarterly earnings would be "impacted by rising AI investment costs and slower video-game sales, which were affected by the relatively late Lunar New Year holiday".
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
One payload, the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies, will capture high-resolution images of how the lander's engine plume interacts with the lunar surface during descent and landing.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
Part of his ashes were sent to the Moon aboard the Lunar Prospector spacecraft.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
