luminaries

noun

plural of luminary
1
as in stars
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 celebrities
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

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 luminaries Last year, luminaries like Conan O’Brien, Ryan Murphy, and Viola Davis were all honored at the event, which closed out the festival on a high note. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 Trump’s close ties to sports luminaries have helped him on the campaign trail and are paying off this summer, with the Senate scheduled for its first votes on the bill next month. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Jamison also didn’t put anyone who played before 1974 on his team, leaving out older luminaries like Charlie Scott, Bobby Jones, Walter Davis, Bob McAdoo, Billy Cunningham and Lennie Rosenbluth. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 From above, an outdoor terrace is outfitted especially for hosting recruits or other luminaries, complete, for the time being, with basketball courts and pickleball. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 The exam’s board also includes many conservative luminaries, including Christopher Rufo, as well as philosopher, Cornel West. — Chris Quintana, USA Today, 30 July 2026 These luminaries provided unique perspectives on innovation and the future. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Among the most famous of the Bronzeville joints was the 708 Club, which often featured such luminaries as Waters, Diddley, Elmore James, Memphis Minnie, Sunnyland Slim, and Howlin’ Wolf. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026 This remarkable proportion is the very reason why these two luminaries appear identical in size from our perspective here on the planet. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
  1. stars
  2. celebrities
  3. galaxies
  4. personalities
  5. suns
  6. figures
  7. clusters
  8. dignitaries
Noun
  • Here’s everything to know about where the stars’ careers took them after the film’s release.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In her press conference, Wilde also lauded her fallow stars of the film.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of stars
Noun
  • On his Instagram account, Harper shared a screenshot of the request on Cameo, an app that allows users to pay celebrities to record custom videos.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Azature Pogosian’s Favorite Places In Los Angeles Petite Hermitage, a popular boutique hotel in West Hollywood, frequented by the locals and celebrities alike.
    — Stephan Rabimov, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of celebrities
Noun
  • Its observations helped refine the age of the Universe, study black holes, discover thousands of galaxies, and capture some of the most iconic images ever taken from space.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Turnshek’s research as an astronomer has primarily focused on galaxy formation and quasars, the luminous cores of distant, ancient galaxies.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of galaxies
Noun
  • But the Iran war cannot be blamed entirely on the influence of individual personalities.
    — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Courtesy of Xfinity/Rock Studios Reality television introduces audiences to fresh personalities, many of whom go on to establish careers after their time on the show.
    — Jacqueline Jevtich, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of personalities
Noun
  • Expect slim crescent suns to be photographed slipping beneath the horizon from across Central Europe.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • His suns stare curiously from one side of a page spread to another and his stacks of hay worriedly study the horizon, while his one-eyed stools and one-eyed fenceposts pop up like eager cyclopses.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Definition of suns
Noun
  • The universe pairs real-world figures with young protagonists, folklore and mythical beings drawn from across the continent, with the goal of introducing Asian stories to global audiences.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Statues of controversial figures were vandalized and taken down, with more than 160 Confederate works removed from public spaces in 2020.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of figures
Noun
  • Scattered throughout are 17 suites unfolding across the hillside in clusters of ancient stone farmhouses.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Not all of these clusters have been linked to the same source, however.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of clusters
Noun
  • The school back then had a solid curriculum and robust extracurricular offerings, including a world-class band that played for numerous dignitaries, which later in the century would include President Richard Nixon.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There it was met by Ivorian minister of culture Francoise Remarck, along with local dignitaries and residents.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dignitaries

Browse Nearby Words

luminance
luminaries
luminary
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Cite this Entry

“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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