Word of the Day

: March 5, 2024

luminary

noun LOO-muh-nair-ee

What It Means

A luminary is a person of prominence or brilliant achievement. The word luminary may also refer to a celestial body, such as the sun or moon.

// Luminaries of the art world congregated at the international convention.

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luminary in Context

"The upcoming documentary will dive deep into the lives of the next generation of basketball luminaries, Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, and Breanna Stewart, as well as WNBA legend, Sheryl Swoopes." — Okla Jones, Essence, 18 Dec. 2023

Did You Know?

As, dare we say, leading lights of the dictionary game, we're here to brighten your day with the 411 on luminary. This word has been casting its glow in English since the 15th century, and it traces back to the Latin word lumen, meaning "light." Other lumen descendants in English include illuminate ("to light up"), luminous ("emitting light"), phillumenist ("one who collects matchbooks or matchbox labels"), and bioluminescence ("the emission of light from living organisms").