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

Simultaneously, a new moon signifies the beginning of things. —Glorious Hoshiko, Vogue, 19 Jan. 2026

Dark skies will be especially favorable during this window, as the activity follows a new moon, meaning little to no moonlight to interfere with visibility. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026

What makes this new moon especially powerful for you is its trine to Uranus in your sign, signaling that growth does not have to look like burnout or sacrifice. —Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 18 Jan. 2026

That same new moon also determines the timing for Lunar New Year (also called Chinese New Year) and Ramadan, both of which begin on that same date. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for new moon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn

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