luminary

noun

lu·​mi·​nary ˈlü-mə-ˌner-ē 

plural luminaries

1

: a person of prominence or brilliant achievement

a literary luminary

a luminary in the medical profession

2

: a body that gives light

especially : one of the celestial bodies

skywatchers … will see one more bright luminary below Orion and Canis Major

—Martin Ratcliffe

luminary adjective

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").

Synonyms

• sphere
• star
• sun

Examples of luminary in a Sentence

luminaries of the art world

awed by the vast number of luminaries in the night sky

Recent Examples on the Web

The Conga Room welcomed Latin luminaries for 25 years. —Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024

Since its ribbon-cutting, the Rubell Museum D.C. has invited both locals and luminaries to address the museum’s audience. —Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024

Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Back in 2022 at the annual Code Conference, where tech luminaries submit to on-stage interviews, an audience member asked Apple CEO Tim Cook for some tech support. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2024

In early January, four Hollywood luminaries received lifetime achievement prizes at the film academy’s annual Governors Awards ceremony. —Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024

Marc Pachter, who transformed the National Portrait Gallery in Washington from a collection primarily of solemn paintings of old white men into a more up-to-date museum that now includes illustrations and interviews with diverse living luminaries, died on Feb. 17 in Bangkok. —Sam Roberts, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024

The cavernous institution in Midtown Manhattan has held memorial services for such luminaries as Robert F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth and Andy Warhol. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024

The 17th class joined more than 150 of the state’s luminaries in science, public service, sports, entertainment and other fields in an event that originated with then-First Lady Maria Shriver in 2006. —Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2024

Lose yourself in the city’s legendary English-language bookstore, once frequented by literary luminaries like Allen Ginsberg and Anaïs Nin. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English luminarye, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French luminaire light, luminary, from Late Latin luminaria, plural of luminare lamp, heavenly body, from Latin, window, from lumin-, lumen light; akin to Latin lucēre to shine — more at light

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

luminary

noun

lu·​mi·​nary ˈlü-mə-ˌner-ē 

plural luminaries

1

: a very famous person

2

: a source of light

especially : one of the heavenly bodies

luminary adjective