monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün 

ˈmän-ˌsün

1

: a periodic wind especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia

2

: the season of the southwest monsoon in India and adjacent areas that is characterized by very heavy rainfall

3

: rainfall that is associated with the monsoon

monsoonal

män-ˈsü-nᵊl 

ˈmän-ˌsü-

adjective

Examples of monsoon in a Sentence

floods caused by summer monsoons

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona receives about 30-60% of its precipitation during the monsoon season, including 10 days of measurable rainfall in Phoenix. —Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 25 June 2024

Now Roman traders learned to ride monsoon currents from the Horn of Africa directly across the Indian Ocean. —Jo Marchant, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024

These rains appear to be related to a seasonal monsoon pattern that can lead to intense showers over short periods. —Edward Szekeres, CNN, 14 June 2024

Opinion Opinion | Trump’s gag order: an umbrella in a monsoon | EDITORIAL CARTOON May 7, 2024 at 12:54 p.m. . —Nick Anderson, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

obsolete Dutch monssoen, from Portuguese monção, from Arabic mawsim time, season

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün 

1

: a periodic wind in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia

2

: the rainy season that accompanies the southwest monsoon

3

: rainfall that is associated with the monsoon season