monsoon

American  

[mon-soon] / mɒnˈsun /

noun

1. the seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter.

2. (in India and nearby lands) the season during which the southwest monsoon blows, commonly marked by heavy rains; rainy season.

3. any wind that changes directions with the seasons.

4. any persistent wind established between water and adjoining land.

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monsoon British  

/ mɒnˈsuːn /

noun

1. a seasonal wind of S Asia that blows from the southwest in summer, bringing heavy rains, and from the northeast in winter

2. the rainy season when the SW monsoon blows, from about April to October

3. any wind that changes direction with the seasons

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monsoon Scientific  

/ mŏn-so̅o̅n′ /

1. A system of winds that influences the climate of a large area and that reverses direction with the seasons. Monsoons are caused primarily by the much greater annual variation in temperature over large areas of land than over large areas of adjacent ocean water. This variation causes an excess of atmospheric pressure over the continents in the winter, and a deficit in the summer. The disparity causes strong winds to blow between the ocean and the land, bringing heavy seasonal rainfall.

2. In southern Asia, a wind that is part of such a system and that blows from the southwest in the summer and usually brings heavy rains.

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monsoon Cultural  

1. A wind system that affects large climatic regions and reverses direction seasonally.

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Discover More

The Asiatic monsoon brings heavy rains to Southeast Asia in spring and summer.

Other Word Forms

• monsoonal adjective

Etymology

Origin of monsoon

First recorded in 1575–85; from obsolete Dutch monssoen, from Portuguese monção, earlier moução, from Arabic mawsim “season,” noun derivative of wasama “to mark”; mazuma ( def. ), Sivan ( def. )

Explanation

Monsoon is the term for the wind that carries heavy rains to southern Asia, and the rains themselves. During a monsoon, people wait indoors for it to stop. Although people in other parts of the world sometimes describe heavy rainfall as a monsoon, the real thing only occurs in Asia. Monsoon describes both the rain that drenches India and Southeast Asia in summer and winter, and the wind that carries that rain. The rains are so heavy that they can lead to floods that wash away entire towns.

Example Sentences

Even in the Calcutta Cup monsoon in Edinburgh in 2020 Scotland managed three.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

This contrast points to the importance of regional influences, including strong monsoon winds, ocean circulation patterns, and water exchange from nearby seas.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2026

And should those monsoon clouds descend while you’re roaming the lush banana groves of Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, I promise you won’t mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

While the annual monsoon season often brings heavy rain to Indonesia, this month's deluge was among the worst disasters to strike Sumatra since a magnitude-9.1 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami in 2004.

From Barron's • Dec. 25, 2025

“Tropical climate. Trade winds. This place probably has a monsoon season. We should scout out some higher ground just in case of flash floods.”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Related Words

• deluge
• drizzle
• flood
• hail
• mist
• precipitation
• rainfall
• rainstorm
• shower
• showers
• sleet
• stream
• torrent