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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of luminary
Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
The company was founded in 2015 by high-profile tech figures like Musk, Sam Altman and Peter Thiel with capital from its founders and other tech luminaries and companies like Amazon Web Services.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
Her royal debut during the royal reception for the most luminary names in Balearic society on Monday evening.
—Ben Jureidini, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Noun
Janet Jackson, Liza Minelli, Jenna Dewan and Derek Hough were just a few of the luminaries who gathered in the Beverly Hilton ballroom on Tuesday to celebrate dancers, singers and choreographers at the Dancers Against Cancer Gala of the Stars.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
The company was founded in 2015 by high-profile tech figures like Musk, Sam Altman and Peter Thiel with capital from its founders and other tech luminaries and companies like Amazon Web Services.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Among the notable new names set to walk the halls of the ennui-addled series are Natasha Lyonne, Eli Roth, YouTube icon Trisha Paytas, True Blood star Sam Trammell, and Till luminary Danielle Deadwyler.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
Her royal debut during the royal reception for the most luminary names in Balearic society on Monday evening.
—Ben Jureidini, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminary
Noun
-
The photos showed the reality TV star sitting in an emergency room chair holding an ice pack to his face.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
On possession after possession, González picked up Brunson full court and tried his best to pester the Knicks star.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
-
Kim Kardashian promotes moon landing conspiracy The conspiracy theory is one that billionaire Kim Kardashian, a major celebrity and entrepreneur with hundreds of millions of social media followers, recently amplified.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Coppola and production designer Ziering will explore their creative partnership, the aesthetic and emotional storytelling that defines Coppola’s visual universe — from the suburban melancholy of Palo Alto to the luminous complexity of The Last Showgirl.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The nongreasy formula also delivers a luminous, glowy finish that even shoppers in their 80s can attest to.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the early 2010s, Courtois was part of the team that discovered and described the Laniakea supercluster of galaxies to which our Milky Way belongs.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
How would the tinkerer-in-chief Guardiola galaxy-brain his way around this clash of styles?—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Xi’s predecessor Jiang Zemin, who served as president between 1993 and 2003, was known for his flamboyant personality, cosmopolitan flair and willingness to show off his language skills and interact with journalists.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The body paint looks as if it were done with skin-tight leggings, while the television personality appears to be topless under the paint.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s also an illuminated bar that seats 10.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The solar wind smashes into the leading edge of Earth’s magnetosphere with supersonic speed, creating a shockwave that can come closer than one hundred thousand kilometers to the planet’s illuminated side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Fission splits the nuclei of atoms to create power while fusion causes hydrogen nuclei to collide and fuse into helium atoms that release incredible amounts of energy — essentially replicating the power of the sun.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Several factors can make the sun glare worse or more dangerous, including leftover moisture from storms or road treatments, steep hills and sharp turns, and obstacles such as wildlife crossing the highway, CDOT said.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Martell’s group was the first Western delegation in years to visit the International Friendship Exhibition, a sprawling mountainside museum that displays gifts and artifacts from foreign dignitaries.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Up to 300 dignitaries, veterans and serving members of the LGBTQ+ community attended the service.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminary. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share