full moon

noun

1. the moon when the whole of its disk is illuminated, occurring when in opposition to the sun.
2. the phase of the moon at this time.

full moon

noun

1. one of the four phases of the moon, occurring when the earth lies between the sun and the moon so that the moon is visible as a fully illuminated disc
2. the moon in this phase
3. the time at which this occurs

full moon

/ fl /

1. The phase of the Moon in which it is visible as a fully illuminated disk. This phase occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth as the Sun and is not in Earth's shadow.
2. See more at moonCompare new moon

Word History and Origins

Origin of full moon¹

before 1000; Middle English ful moyne, Old English fulles monan

Example Sentences

November's full Moon is called the Beaver Moon, probably because beavers are particularly active at this time of year as they prepare for the winter months ahead.

From BBC

And when the full Moon - which occurs roughly every 29.5 days - coincides with the Moon's perigee, it appears bigger and brighter than usual and so we call it a supermoon.

From BBC

The Moon will be in a waxing gibbous phase – going from half moon to full moon.

From BBC

To date, I’ve traversed it about 400 times, at nearly every time of day, in every season, snaking my way up the hillside as it’s bathed in golden hour sunlight, ensconced in early morning fog and even lit up under a full moon.

From Los Angeles Times

Try later in the week or perhaps wait until the Geminids in December, although for the Geminid peak this year, an even more ominous full Moon threatens.

From BBC