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 Since Parton’s death on Tuesday following a cancer diagnosis, celebrities, politicians, and luminaries have mourned her loss. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 Tributes from entertainment luminaries, politicians and others immediately followed. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 All the essays collected here are by writers who happen to swim, rather than swimmers who happen to write, including luminaries like Margaret Drabble, Esther Freud, and Leanne Shapton. — Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
  1. stars
  2. celebrities
  3. galaxies
  4. personalities
  5. suns
  6. figures
  7. clusters
  8. dignitaries
Noun
  • Love was unclear on the reasons for her volte-face, but speculated that Sky had failed to convince Bake Off stars like Paul Hollywood to make the switch.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The character was loosely based on NASCAR driver Tim Richmond, the wildly talented Ohio native who was one of the sport's biggest stars at the time.
    — Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of stars
Noun
  • Some of the company’s most likable commercials in the past have relied on celebrities, according to iSpot, including Hart.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The immersive show blows away celebrities, fans like a Kansas tornado in VegasNeed a news break?
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of celebrities
Noun
  • There are, by various estimates, several trillion planets within what is known as the Local Group of galaxies—our closest galaxy neighbors, including our own Milky Way.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Rogue stars could be the answer The key to this mystery could lie in the fact that most stars don't orbit the centers of their galaxies where supermassive black holes dwell alone, instead existing in binary partnerships.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of galaxies
Noun
  • The chat show will give fans even more action, bringing them closer to the personalities, dynamics and relationships at the heart of the series.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As fans mourn Dolly Parton, two longtime Philadelphia radio personalities are remembering the country music icon for an influence that stretched far beyond her songs.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of personalities
Noun
  • Such streamers are thought to be how stars grow, delivering mass onto nascent suns.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The prevalence of LRDs in the early universe would align with the emergence of supermassive black holes, each weighing millions to billions of suns apiece, which astronomers spy at the hearts of large galaxies.
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of suns
Noun
  • But Jarmond later worked with a search committee that included prominent UCLA figures Bob Myers, Adam Peters and Casey Wasserman on the hiring of Bob Chesney, who quickly injected hope and optimism into the football program.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The backlash went beyond online and reached political figures like New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who sent The Met committee a letter urging them to reconsider honoring Galliano.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of figures
Noun
  • Autumn Joy Stonecrop Also called autumn joy sedum, this hardy, summer- and fall-flowering perennial is known for its succulent foliage and dense clusters of tiny pink flowers.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Staple builds clusters of commerce by opening small businesses that locals will actually use, and then adds accommodations to attract visitors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of clusters
Noun
  • We are used to the street closures, the factory shutdowns, the restrictions on driving and internet access during Communist Party conferences, international summits, Tiananmen Square military parades, and the visits of foreign dignitaries.
    — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Barbers and tattoo artists prepared to become drivers for delegates and student volunteers to usher dignitaries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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