new moon

noun

1
: the moon's phase when it is in conjunction with the sun so that its dark side is toward the earth
also : the thin crescent moon seen shortly after sunset for a few days after the actual occurrence of the new moon phase
2
: the beginning of each Jewish month marked by a special liturgy

Examples of new moon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The solar eclipse that occurred in the early afternoon Monday happened to coincide with the second new moon of Ramadan in California. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024 Dazzling solar eclipse photos that won't fry your eyes 37 photos Solar eclipses can only occur during a new moon, a milestone phase of the lunar cycle. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024 In contrast to beautiful full moon appearances, new moons blend in with the night sky. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024 Scientists have discovered three new moons in the solar system, including two around Neptune and the smallest moon of Uranus found in over 20 years. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 This cosmic alignment only happens during a new moon phase when the sun and the moon are perfectly aligned in the sky. The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024 In addition, a solar eclipse can only happen during a new moon. Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024 While the full moon will be caught in Earth’s shadow during this penumbral eclipse, the moon’s next new moon phase will allow for the conditions needed for a solar eclipse, when the moon will be in between the sun and Earth and thus block the face of the sun from view. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 The moon goes through eight phases during its 29.5 day cycle: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent. Arianna Johnson, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'new moon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of new moon was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near new moon

Cite this Entry

“New moon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20moon. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

new moon

noun
: the moon's phase when its dark side is toward the earth
also : the thin curved outline of the moon seen shortly after sunset for a few days after the actual occurrence of the new moon phase

More from Merriam-Webster on new moon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!