Synonyms of luminaries

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

• stars
• galaxies
• suns
• clusters
• spheres
• supernovas
• variables
• constellations
• neutron stars
• brown dwarfs
• quasars
• white dwarfs
• binary stars
• fixed stars
• pulsars
• variable stars
• supergiants
• red stars
• lodestars
• red giants
• superclusters
• giant stars
• dwarfs
• red dwarfs
• novas
• subdwarfs
• gassers

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

• celebrities
• stars
• personalities
• figures
• dignitaries
• notables
• superstars
• heroes
• personages
• celebs
• VIPs
• notabilities
• lights
• names
• standouts
• icons
• megastars
• worthies
• idols
• causes célèbres
• somebodies
• favorites
• eminences
• magnates
• immortals
• notorieties
• pillars
• monuments
• bigwigs
• heartthrobs
• barons
• demigods
• moguls
• nabobs
• big shots
• panjandrums
• kahunas

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nobodies
• mediocrities
• lightweights
• noncelebrities
• has-beens

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of luminaries

Witchy and worldly, with a tendency to name-drop the luminaries she’s encountered on her travels, the grande dame is Sybylla’s first example of a woman who chose her own way and has been rewarded for it. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

Burning Man, the week-long festival that takes place in the middle of the Nevada desert and draws many luminaries from the tech industry, prides itself on building community. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 9 Sep. 2026

Once Upon a Time in Harlem In 1972, documentarian William Greaves brought together the surviving luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance for a shindig at Duke Ellington’s house. — A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodie Foster, screenwriters Paul Schrader and Nicholas Pileggi, Spike Lee, and Daniel Day-Lewis (Miller’s husband) are among the luminaries who appear in the series. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026

Over the years, the convention center arena has hosted a who’s who of music luminaries, the kind of acts people tell their kids and grandkids about years after seeing them. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Then in 2024, at the Paris Olympic Games, her golden statue rises from the Seine, alongside other female luminaries Simon Veil and Simone de Beauvoir. — Annika Pham, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026

Arguments in favor of bond and tax measures will usually be well written and signed by several local luminaries. — Marc Joffe, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2026

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