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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of luminaries
Rivera, who met Goldberg at a dinner with his manager five years ago, ran with the idea, placing a cast of Puerto Rican luminaries in the famous rowboat alongside Bad Bunny — who is draped in the Puerto Rican flag and standing in Washington’s place.
—
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner and a cast of other soon-to-be luminaries were part of the Toronto company, and Second City had rapidly become a popular nightspot.
—Lynn Hirschberg, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
O'Hara began her career in improv writing and performing with the famous Second City troupe in Toronto, SCTV, alongside other luminaries like John Candy and Gilda Radner.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
As far as documentaries on celebrities and luminaries go, Melania avoids major revelations, instead favoring a glimpse of a brief moment in time and lightly touching on the issues that intersect with her present role.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Hill, the former Fugees frontwoman, will honor both Flack and D’Angelo during her portion of the program dedicated to the music luminaries who passed within the last year.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2026
There has been great interest in Triet’s next project, with Hollywood luminaries reportedly queuing up for potential collaboration.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Other fashion luminaries who have received the honor include Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
Behind-the-scenes luminaries set to receive awards at the event include songwriter Amy Allen, producers Alissia and Roselilah, recording and mix engineers Jayda Love and Bella Blasko, the writer-producer duo Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, and audio company co-founder Betty Bennett.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner and a cast of other soon-to-be luminaries were part of the Toronto company, and Second City had rapidly become a popular nightspot.
—Lynn Hirschberg, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
O'Hara began her career in improv writing and performing with the famous Second City troupe in Toronto, SCTV, alongside other luminaries like John Candy and Gilda Radner.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
As far as documentaries on celebrities and luminaries go, Melania avoids major revelations, instead favoring a glimpse of a brief moment in time and lightly touching on the issues that intersect with her present role.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Hill, the former Fugees frontwoman, will honor both Flack and D’Angelo during her portion of the program dedicated to the music luminaries who passed within the last year.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2026
There has been great interest in Triet’s next project, with Hollywood luminaries reportedly queuing up for potential collaboration.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Other fashion luminaries who have received the honor include Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 Jan. 2026
Behind-the-scenes luminaries set to receive awards at the event include songwriter Amy Allen, producers Alissia and Roselilah, recording and mix engineers Jayda Love and Bella Blasko, the writer-producer duo Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, and audio company co-founder Betty Bennett.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
Noun
-
One of hip-hop's highest charting stars of 2025, BigXthaPlug, fuses rap and country.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Taking its name from Don Winslow’s novella, Crime 101 stars Chris Hemsworth as Mike, a lone-wolf jewel thief operating along the Pacific Coast Highway.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Macaulay Culkin is one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to Catherine O'Hara following her death on Friday.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Bud Light’s Allen says no celebrities were harmed in the making of this commercial.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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From 2013 to 2019, the Dark Energy Survey (DES) team repeatedly imaged a large section of Earth’s southern sky to collect the positions, colours and shapes of around 150 million galaxies.—
Nature magazine,
Scientific American,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These findings suggest that strong, organized magnetic fields may have been common in the early universe, especially in dusty starburst galaxies like Arp 220's ancient counterparts.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Through an annual induction ceremony and year-round programming, the Hall of Fame will celebrate athletic excellence and honor the players, teams and personalities who have shaped LA sports.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Do the allusions and shout-outs to current events and personalities seem a little too close for comfort?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The bright star is so large that more than 400 million suns could fit inside of it.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The exhibit combines ultra-high-definition images taken by the James Webb Telescope with giant models of the planets and suns.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That set her apart from other South Korean first ladies – who traditionally were viewed as humble, behind-the-scenes figures.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
These students do not count toward the college's enrollment figures.—
Edward McKinnon,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
However, proto-clusters, or still-forming galaxy clusters, appear far earlier.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
-
To create the most impactful small flower bed, pinpoint a few key areas in your front yard and plant clusters of perennials rather than attempting to fill entire garden beds, says Janney.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Atlanta government and business leaders want to present a welcoming environment for foreign dignitaries and international fans planning to descend upon the city this summer for the World Cup.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The British newspaper portrayed Rodríguez as a complex figure with personal quirks and an ability to build rapport, citing sources who described her interest in champagne, table tennis and informal interactions with foreign dignitaries.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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