lunar

adjective

lu·​nar ˈlü-nər How to pronounce lunar (audio)
 also  -ˌnär
1
: crescent, lunate
who grasps the struggling heifer's lunar hornsAlexander Pope
2
a
: of, relating to, or resembling the moon
lunar craters
a lunar landscape
b
: designed for use on the moon
lunar vehicles
3
: measured by the moon's revolution
lunar month

Examples of lunar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Japan aims to land SLIM within 328 feet (100 meters) of its target location — much closer than conventional lunar landers, which usually have an accuracy of several kilometers. Julia Mio Inuma, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023 Japan launched a rocket to the moon Wednesday in an attempt to become the fifth country to land on the lunar surface, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2023 The moon lander, called the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), will take a fuel-efficient path to the lunar surface. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023 The lunar influence on when, why, and how deer move has been debated for years, with a once-prominent whitetail writer even arguing that lunar cycles altered the timing of the rut, and in some years by several weeks. Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 6 Sep. 2023 Later, a lunar sextile to karmic Saturn gives us the urge to make the day count. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2023 Eight months later, India’s Chandrayaan 3 made a perfect landing on the largely unexplored dark side of the Moon, putting India alongside the United States and China in the exclusive club of nations with working lunar rovers. Vivek Wadhwa, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2023 To the moon and back:Astronauts get 1st look at Artemis II craft ahead of lunar mission Astrophysicists caution hasty conclusions of 'aliens' However, many astrophysicists caution the public from jumping to the conclusion that any unexplained sighting means aliens on other planets are visiting us. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 Because the moon lacks tectonic activity and flowing water, and its atmosphere is negligible, most lunar surface craters are still visible, the LPI said. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin lunaris, from luna moon; akin to Latin lucēre to shine — more at light

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lunar was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near lunar

Cite this Entry

“Lunar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lunar. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

lunar

adjective
lu·​nar ˈlü-nər How to pronounce lunar (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling the moon
lunar craters
a lunar landscape
2
: measured by the moon's revolution
lunar month

Medical Definition

lunar

adjective
lu·​nar
ˈlü-nər also -ˌnär
: lunate

More from Merriam-Webster on lunar

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!