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
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Recent Examples of luminaries
Via social media, luminaries including Jimmy Kimmel and Jamie Lee Curtis also shared images of support.
—
Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Mar. 2026
The ingredients themselves are the luminaries of spring.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 26 Mar. 2026
At any rate, Bill’s getting the Twain, given previously to comedic luminaries including Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey and Dave Chappelle.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Inspired by late-‘70s Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) legends such as Erasmo Carlos, as well as esteemed luminaries from the Tropicalia movement like Caetano Veloso, the São Paulo native doesn’t so much resurrect these traditions but tilt them off-axis.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 25 Mar. 2026
The location’s opening was initially defined by good times, with hip-hop and R&B luminaries gracing its floors.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026
There’s also a ring of honor celebrating franchise luminaries near the bar.
—Eric Prisbell, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
The 98th Academy Awards paid tribute to some of the film industry luminaries who died in the last year in an extended In Memoriam segment Sunday.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
The sports section, which has been home to luminaries like Sally Jenkins, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, was eliminated.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Mar. 2026
The ingredients themselves are the luminaries of spring.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 26 Mar. 2026
At any rate, Bill’s getting the Twain, given previously to comedic luminaries including Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey and Dave Chappelle.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Inspired by late-‘70s Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) legends such as Erasmo Carlos, as well as esteemed luminaries from the Tropicalia movement like Caetano Veloso, the São Paulo native doesn’t so much resurrect these traditions but tilt them off-axis.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 25 Mar. 2026
The location’s opening was initially defined by good times, with hip-hop and R&B luminaries gracing its floors.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026
There’s also a ring of honor celebrating franchise luminaries near the bar.
—Eric Prisbell, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
The 98th Academy Awards paid tribute to some of the film industry luminaries who died in the last year in an extended In Memoriam segment Sunday.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
The sports section, which has been home to luminaries like Sally Jenkins, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, was eliminated.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
Noun
-
The high-profile dispute has, over the past year and a half, ensnared several other celebrities in Lively and Baldoni's orbit as the discovery process in their case exposed the stars' private communications.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Festivalgoers will be invited to celebrate the return of the series with a communal viewing under the stars.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amid all the excitement, Jin, Jimin, and V stop by Vogue’s kitchen to cook up a delicious dinner for Now Serving, a video series in which celebrities make their favorite dishes.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Ubiquitous advertisements on television and social media, often fronted by celebrities and sports idols, are now often the first exposure to gambling for children.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The deep space image captures a fleeting moment in a titanic struggle that has lasted hundreds of millions of years, as the gravitational influence of the galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 pulls at one another to create chaos on a truly cosmic scale.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Understanding these building blocks is key to reconstructing how the universe evolved from the fiery hot plasma that permeated space after the Big Bang to the structured web of galaxies observed today.—
Mariangela Lisanti,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These outsized musical personalities often leave more distinctive fingerprints on the songs than the BTS members themselves do.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Crosby said some of her greatest strengths are bridging ideology gaps to get things done and not letting personalities get in the way.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the walls, some embossed with seashells, are moon carvings and brass suns, glossy lacquer minibars in baby blues and oxblood reds, and wonky puzzle piece doorknobs.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The spectrum also shows the structure is a mix of gas and stars and suggests that the far end is a bright knot of gas glowing as bright as nearly 50 million suns.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The ceiling is decorated with representations of Italian coins from the Etruscans to the early 20th century, the floor consists of colorful geometric mosaics, and gazing down on the scene are busts of various iconic Italian figures, from Marco Polo to Alessandro Volta.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This leads to a network of galaxies, galaxy groups, galaxy clusters, and large-scale filaments of structure, with enormous cosmic voids between them.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The project is designed to meet surging demand for the heavy-lift rockets needed to put clusters of satellites into orbit.—
Jim Wyss,
Bloomberg,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Family members, close friends, colleagues and dignitaries will enter from Franklin Boulevard and park in the south parking lot, using Entry 5.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Warden Bob Markle was an accomplished sport fisherman, in demand as a guide for visiting dignitaries, and likely to be found fishing or hunting on off-duty time.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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