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

Full and new moons' names are traditionally used to track the seasons, the almanac states. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 22 June 2026

June's new moon is finally upon us, bringing with it a handful of precious dark nights in which to explore the wonders of the starry sky, before the familiar sight of the waxing lunar crescent returns to hide fainter targets from view. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 June 2026

This is a new moon in Gemini, which highlights communication, travel, and social connection on a collective scale. —Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026

And since this is a super new moon, the moon’s perigee to Earth has a profound effect on our emotions. —Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 10 June 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