Lunar

How to spell lunar

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce lunar

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does lunar mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to the moon or its movements.

Lunar in a sentence

• The astronauts collected lunar rock samples during the mission.

• The calendar tracks each lunar cycle from one new moon to the next.

Where does lunar come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes straight from the Latin lunaris, meaning 'of the moon', which was built on the noun luna, the Latin word for the moon itself. That noun is thought to derive from an older root meaning 'to shine' or 'light', the same sense that gave Latin lucere 'to shine' and lumen 'light', so at heart luna simply named the bright thing in the night sky. English adopted the adjective in the 1600s, when astronomy was advancing and writers needed a precise term for things connected with the moon, such as the lunar month and lunar eclipses. The Roman goddess Luna, who personified the moon, carries the same name, and the word 'lunatic' shares this root too, reflecting an old belief that the moon's phases could disturb the mind. Because the spelling follows the simple Latin stem cleanly, it keeps the single 'u' and the plain '-ar' ending without any hidden traps.

How the word is built

• lun- (from Latin luna: moon)
• -ar (adjective suffix meaning 'relating to')