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 It is intended not only to carry cargo and crew to the lunar surface but also to launch more and larger Starlink broadband satellites than the company’s existing lineup of rockets can. Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 In an interview, Meyerson said that the company intends to be the first to collect, return and then sell lunar resources and test the 2015 law. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The race to monetize space is on, from lunar delivery services and commercial space stations through to the extraction of valuable resources from asteroids and the Moon. George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 The lander was initially expected to spend about a week collecting data on the moon before lunar night sets in and the probe loses power. Denise Chow, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Key Background The Odysseus lunar lander touched down on the moon’s surface last week, completing the first-ever lunar landing by a private company after a week-long voyage from Earth. Ty Roush, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Intuitive Machines built and operated Odysseus to carry cargo for NASA and other private customers to the lunar surface for its IM-1 mission. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 Within the next few decades, NASA aims to land humans on the Moon, set up a lunar colony and use the lessons learned to send people to Mars as part of its Artemis program. Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 As Odysseus fades, another lunar lander unexpectedly popped back to life. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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

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