Meaning & use
lunar
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Connected with the moon or its movements and phases.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a lunar eclipse, lunar dust. It is not used after a verb.
Patterns
- lunar surface
- lunar eclipse
- lunar mission
The spacecraft landed on the lunar surface.
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth's shadow covers the moon.
Scientists study lunar rocks to understand the moon's history.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Measured or counted by the cycles of the moon, especially a period of about 29.5 days.
Grammar: Used before nouns like month, calendar, or year: a lunar month.
Patterns
- lunar month
- lunar calendar
- lunar year
A lunar month is about 29.5 days long.
The Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar.
Many religious festivals are based on the lunar year.
Common combinations
- lunar eclipse
- We watched the lunar eclipse from our backyard.
- lunar surface
- The astronauts collected samples from the lunar surface.
- lunar month
- A lunar month is shorter than a calendar month.
- lunar landing
- The first lunar landing took place in 1969.
- lunar cycle
- The tides are affected by the lunar cycle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moon
- Used as a noun or in compounds like moon landing; 'lunar' is more formal and technical, common in scientific contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- lunar adjective
- Relating to the moon.
Commonly confused: lunar or solar?
lunar vs solar
Solar means relating to the sun, while lunar means relating to the moon. Do not mix them up.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence? 'A ______ eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon.'
Choose one answer.
A lunar eclipse involves the moon, so 'lunar' is correct. 'Solar' refers to the sun, so it would describe an eclipse of the sun, not the moon.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lunar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.