supermoon

American

[soo-per-moon] / ˈsu pərˌmun /

noun

Meteorology.

a full moon that purportedly looks larger than normal when it coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth.

Etymology

Origin of supermoon

First recorded in 1975–80 super- ( def. ) + moon ( def. )

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.

Micromoons appear to look smaller in the sky and are the opposite of a supermoon.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

And whilst you may have marvelled at the Cold Moon earlier in December, a fourth consecutive supermoon is on its way in early January.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

The full moon exerting its pull is the last supermoon of 2025, the third after supermoons in October and November.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

The supermoon, which was at it peak brightness on Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:19 a.m., was 221,817 miles from Earth, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

A supermoon, it said, was a full moon that comes closer than usual to Earth.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023