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 second new moon of 2026 will darken the sky on February 17, 2026, in the sign of Aquarius. —Marie Bladt, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026

On the Gregorian calendar, Lunar New Year – which lasts from the first new moon to the next full moon – generally falls in late January or early February. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026

As a result, most new moons pass slightly above or below the sun from our point of view, and most full moons pass above or below Earth's shadow. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026

Ruiz recommends going to Mosquito Bay on the island of Vieques, a 20-mile-long island off Puerto Rico’s main island, during a new moon. —Kathleen Rellihan, Outside, 10 Feb. 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