luminary

noun

lu·​mi·​nary ˈlü-mə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce luminary (audio)
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").

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
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.
Cannes opening night can be hit or miss, but lately, festival director Thierry Frémaux has used the occasion to import Hollywood luminaries like Meryl Streep, tributed by Juliette Binoche last year. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 14 May 2025 Murray and Woodward were there with Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and other luminaries to watch a screening of a new documentary on Katherine Graham, the Washington Post’s legendary publisher. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 May 2025 Trump spent his first term filling the bench, including three seats on the Supreme Court, with the society’s luminaries. Ian Millhiser, Vox, 12 May 2025 The movie is filled with real-world downtown luminaries such as Richard Edson, Nick Zedd, Richard Hell, Johnny Thunders, and Dee Dee Ramone, as well as the poet Gregory Corso and the actress Judy Carne. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for luminary

Word History

Etymology

Middle English luminarye "lamp, source of spiritual light," borrowed from Anglo-French luminarie, luminaire "celestial body, source of light, important person, lamp, candle." borrowed from Late Latin lūmināria, plural (later taken as feminine singular) of lūmināre "opening to let in light, source of light, lamp, torch, heavenly body, important person," from Latin lūmin-, lūmen "light, source of light, opening to let in light" + -ar, -āre, variant (after stems with an l) of -al, -āle, nominalized forms of -ālis -al entry 1 — more at lumen

Note: The earliest Anglo-French attestations, luminaries and luminaires in the Oxford and Cambridge Psalters, are also the earliest French attestations from any source. The vernacular outcome of lūmināria is lumière, which co-occurs in an early text (Chrétien de Troyes, Cligés) with luminaire, though the latter is found just once. — The Latin word lūmināre is attested once in the classical language, in Cato's De agri cultura 14.2. The Oxford Latin Dictionary translates it as "lamp," though the context, a list of items needed to construct and furnish a farm building, suggests that lūmināria have some relationship to windows.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of luminary was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luminary. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

luminary

noun
lu·​mi·​nary ˈlü-mə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce luminary (audio)
plural luminaries
1
: a very famous person
2
: a source of light
especially : one of the heavenly bodies
luminary adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on luminary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!