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

The creature waited out the harsh climate of the Late Triassic by burrowing deep into moist riverbeds to avoid drying out between monsoon seasons in a process known as seasonal estivation. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024

Here’s an overview, according to our experts: November through February, after the monsoon season, offers fine weather for much of the country, save for the Himalayan mountain states. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Dec. 2024

The weather starts getting chilly as the wet and blustery monsoon, bringing cold November rain, sweeps across Southeast Asia. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024

The monsoon — the seventh-driest on record — provided little relief: Sky Harbor Airport recorded just 0.74 of an inch of rain for the whole season. —Hayleigh Evans, Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 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