supermoon

noun

su·​per·​moon ˈsü-pər-ˌmün How to pronounce supermoon (audio)
plural supermoons
: a full moon occurring when the moon is at or near the closest point in its orbit
A supermoon … occurs when the moon is full within 24 hours of being at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit.Kaleigh Rogers
Visible supermoons appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than full moons that occur at the farthest point in the moon's orbit.Karen Hao
As the first and only supermoon of 2017 rose high into the sky this Sunday (Dec. 3), astrophotographers seized the opportunity to shoot the moon in all its bigger-than-usual glory.Hanneke Weitering

Examples of supermoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That means this month’s full beaver supermoon shouldn’t be missed. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024 Related article Comet likely last seen when Neanderthals walked Earth could soon dazzle in the night sky There are two full moons remaining for 2024 — the beaver moon, which is also a supermoon, on November 15 and the cold moon on December 15, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024 The supermoon was an enchanting sight in the sky over Linkoping, Sweden. Athena Sobhan, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 However, the light from the supermoon, which began to wane on Friday, is expected to limit a lot of visibility, Macdonald said. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for supermoon 

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supermoon was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near supermoon

Cite this Entry

“Supermoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supermoon. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!