1
as in star
a ball-shaped gaseous celestial body that shines by its own light
awed by the vast number of luminaries in the night sky
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
luminaries from the worlds of sports, entertainment, and politics were at the gala
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in luminous
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of luminary
Addie Morfoot, Variety, 10 June 2026
When the national anthem played just before tip-off, the jumbotron inside the arena flashed to the president, standing in his suite alongside MAGA luminaries including Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and Dan Scavino.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
A lot of neighborhoods have luminary traditions that involve lining DIY paper lanterns along the streets and pathways.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Noun
The film, which includes interviews with King, her wife Ilana Kloss, tennis luminaries including Chris Evert, and King’s friend Elton John, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 10 June 2026
When the national anthem played just before tip-off, the jumbotron inside the arena flashed to the president, standing in his suite alongside MAGA luminaries including Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and Dan Scavino.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Adjective
All three bars take their places alongside other luminary bars in the Bay Area, Southern California, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix and Maui.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
A lot of neighborhoods have luminary traditions that involve lining DIY paper lanterns along the streets and pathways.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminary
Noun
-
The federation has been successful in luring top names like Hakimi, 2026 UEFA Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, but not with others like Spanish star Laime Yamal, who chose to represent the country of his birth.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
24 June 2026
-
Check out the incredible highlights from AJ Dybantsa’s freshman season that have the BYU star poised to compete for the top pick in the 2026 NBA draft.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
Noun
-
Audiences are skeptical of celebrity.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Timpson is the first openly gay champion of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen competition and after winning season 23 a few years ago, made history as the only winner in the show’s history to be named executive chef at the property where their season was filmed.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The cat-eye effect brings a rippling, water-like effect to the shade, made for you water signs who always feel most at home in something a little fluid, a little luminous, and just a bit magical.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
-
Having introduced that fiercely luminous piece in 2023, Dudamel brought it back in March, placing it on the second half of a concert that began with Beethoven’s Seventh.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
In one Zooniverse project related to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, volunteers will visually inspect and annotate 2D slitless spectroscopic images from the telescope to observe the redshift of millions of galaxies — the main method used for measuring the expansion of the universe.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
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Thus, dark matter annihilation is only a factor when this mysterious stuff is densely clustered in a region like the heart of a galaxy.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 June 2026
Noun
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Lynn's infectious personality and ongoing quest for selfies made her someone that everyone wanted to know, and her sharp wit kept readers coming back for more.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
During auditions, judges focus on dance technique, high kicks, splits, showmanship, personal appearance, energy, enthusiasm, poise, figure and personality, per the DCC's website.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
When the sun goes down, stake out a spot at any Magic Kingdom-area resort beach for the Electrical Water Pageant, a procession of illuminated sea creatures that floats across the lagoon every night.—
Jacqueline Dole,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
-
Seconds, that the union and the contractor’s association be allowed to place a smaller illuminated sign near the base of the Western Auto sign noting that the organizations had done the work.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
As the episode ends, the gray skies are burning off and the sun is peeking out on a world that Rhaenyra will struggle to bear.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
-
As the sun began to lower, the men gathered in a circle, the tempo of their chest-thumping accelerating with the intensity of their chants.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
There doesn't appear to be a good reason the championship teams in 1970 and 1973 didn't get showered with confetti downtown, but plenty of other teams and foreign dignitaries have reveled in the glory since 1886, when the first ticker-tape parade was held in dedication of the Statue of Liberty.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
-
It was not known what dignitaries were in the motorcade.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminary. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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