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.
At nearly 650,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is known for its sprawling solitude: miles of lunar rock faces and sandy washes frame spindly Ocotillo stands, wildflower superblooms and designated dark skies.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
Goonhilly said the move, which is set to be completed later this year, would "directly support the next era of lunar exploration".
From BBC • May 15, 2026
And Odysseus was the first privately funded lander to make a soft landing on the lunar surface.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Blue Origin's MK1 lunar lander, also known as Endurance, is an uncrewed cargo spacecraft designed to test key technologies for future Moon missions.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
The lunar module separated from the command module and landed on the moon’s surface that Saturday afternoon.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
