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
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
The president has instead shifted focus to a July 4 rally featuring luminaries like country singer Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio and, naturally, himself.
—
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2026
The film, which includes interviews with King, her wife Ilana Kloss, tennis luminaries including Chris Evert, and King’s friend Elton John, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 10 June 2026
When the national anthem played just before tip-off, the jumbotron inside the arena flashed to the president, standing in his suite alongside MAGA luminaries including Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and Dan Scavino.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Some of the game’s luminaries, such as Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Coco Gauff, have backed Sabalenka’s stance.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
Science luminaries including Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and Carl Sagan once peered through the vintage telescopes housed in the domed observatory towers.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Open for more than three decades, the dining room became quite the who’s who joint for downtown luminaries, with everyone from supermodels to celebrities to regular ol’ New Yorkers coming through its doors.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 June 2026
The competition comprises both familiar luminaries like Lionel Messi and ascending superstars like Lamine Yamal.
—Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Two years ago, Engle helped revive her favorite tradition — locals gathering to line the neighborhood streets with luminaries for Christmas Eve.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2026
The film, which includes interviews with King, her wife Ilana Kloss, tennis luminaries including Chris Evert, and King’s friend Elton John, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 10 June 2026
When the national anthem played just before tip-off, the jumbotron inside the arena flashed to the president, standing in his suite alongside MAGA luminaries including Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and Dan Scavino.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Some of the game’s luminaries, such as Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Coco Gauff, have backed Sabalenka’s stance.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
Science luminaries including Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and Carl Sagan once peered through the vintage telescopes housed in the domed observatory towers.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Open for more than three decades, the dining room became quite the who’s who joint for downtown luminaries, with everyone from supermodels to celebrities to regular ol’ New Yorkers coming through its doors.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 June 2026
The competition comprises both familiar luminaries like Lionel Messi and ascending superstars like Lamine Yamal.
—Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Two years ago, Engle helped revive her favorite tradition — locals gathering to line the neighborhood streets with luminaries for Christmas Eve.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
Noun
-
The reality stars' Newport Beach home was broken into earlier this week as the couple vacationed with their family in Mexico.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
The Basque Country is a region that glitters with Michelin stars.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The honors, which aim to reward individuals for their contributions to British life, are awarded twice a year to celebrities and public figures as well as ordinary people, once at New Year’s, and then in June, to mark the king’s birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Made of suede and leather, Skechers’ sneakers are an impressive lookalike for the indoor soccer shoes made popular by celebrities like Katie Holmes and Jennifer Aniston.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Scientists can draw on it to identify and study 100,000 exoplanets, hundreds of millions of galaxies, billions of stars, and rare objects and phenomena — including some that astronomers have never witnessed before.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
Quasars are the extremely active supermassive black holes at the heart of some galaxies, furiously feeding on gas that is being shoveled towards their maw, and growing as a result of this voracious feeding.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has called for calm, but several far-right personalities in Great Britain and the United States—including Elon Musk—have used the attack to foment hatred against immigrants.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
Tim Allen, who has played Buzz Lightyear since the first movie, noted how intertwined the characters have become with their personalities.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The results reveal jets carrying energy equal to around 10,000 suns while moving at nearly half the speed of light, offering one of the clearest views yet of how black holes pump energy back into the universe.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
Along my walkway and all over my neighborhood, nasturtium flowers are opening like bright orange suns, fragrant lavender is attracting buzzing bees, and rosemary bushes are beginning to brighten with baby blue flowers.—
Senior Food Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Inspired by figures like Jack Greenberg, the longtime head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Dan chose public service, centering his path on helping the underserved while challenging entrenched systems of inequality.—
Joel Rubin,
New York Daily News,
9 June 2026
-
An alliance of prominent French business, publishing and film figures has joined forces to revive one of the most storied venues in Paris cinephilia, with luxury house Chanel serving as lead partner behind the reopening of the historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés cinema.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Researchers estimate that at least 4% of the ocean's surface is covered by floating mats and clusters of seaweed, with levels expected to increase further throughout June.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
Bright orange milkweed aphids (Aphis nerii) usually emerge toward the end of summer and feed in clusters on the stems and leaves of common milkweed, swamp milkweed, and other milkweed plants.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
He was then escorted by police officers to the airport’s VIP terminal, where he was welcomed by Somalia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, officials from the Somalia Football Federation and other dignitaries and spoke to press.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
-
Next week, Obama will be joined by other former presidents and dignitaries to dedicate his presidential library, named the Obama Center, on a sprawling complex less than 10 miles south of Grant Park.—
Hallie Golden,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
