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
Rai worked at India Today for about ten years, shooting luminaries such as Mother Teresa, the director Satyajit Ray, and the Dalai Lama, who remained a friend for decades.
—
Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Some of the hotel’s earliest visitors included such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Henry Matisse, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Josephine Baker.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
View this post on Instagram Tributes from hip-hop luminaries poured in after Rob's death was announced.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 22 May 2026
The collaborators list on Los Locos Nunca Mueren is full of música mexicana luminaries, including Luis R Conriquez, Oscar Maydon, and, of course, Fuerza Regida.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026
Over 600 people attended the wedding weekend, including other Hollywood luminaries like Cary Grant and Ava Gardner.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
Early visitors included luminaries like Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, Kirk Douglas, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.
—Jennifer Green, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Their On Culture event in September could take the brand to new heights and honor a whole new category of luminaries and rainmakers in marketing.
—Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 15 May 2026
This collection is a collaborative deep engagement with translation with translation (and poetry) luminaries like Aditi Machado and Sawako Nakayasu.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Some of the hotel’s earliest visitors included such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Henry Matisse, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Josephine Baker.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
View this post on Instagram Tributes from hip-hop luminaries poured in after Rob's death was announced.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 22 May 2026
The collaborators list on Los Locos Nunca Mueren is full of música mexicana luminaries, including Luis R Conriquez, Oscar Maydon, and, of course, Fuerza Regida.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026
Over 600 people attended the wedding weekend, including other Hollywood luminaries like Cary Grant and Ava Gardner.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
Early visitors included luminaries like Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, Kirk Douglas, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.
—Jennifer Green, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Their On Culture event in September could take the brand to new heights and honor a whole new category of luminaries and rainmakers in marketing.
—Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 15 May 2026
This collection is a collaborative deep engagement with translation with translation (and poetry) luminaries like Aditi Machado and Sawako Nakayasu.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
Noun
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Today’s Hollywood stars — Taylor Russell, Greta Lee, Anya Taylor-Joy, Alison Oliver, Jisoo, Maude Apatow, Jeff Goldblum, Sabrina Carpenter, to name a few — were in attendance.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
The Ducks have high-ceiling youngsters blossoming into stars who should be the nucleus of future playoff teams.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Athletes and celebrities get in on wrestling all the time, and now WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella is calling for WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
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Over the decades, the Burberry check has been embraced by fashion insiders, supermodels, and celebrities, absorbing the attitude of each era along the way.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Metal-poor stars are often associated with ancient dwarf galaxies, which the Milky Way might have consumed over time to grow to its current massive state — and remnants of these cosmic meals might be hiding deep within the galaxy.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
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Stars within our own or in neighboring galaxies are too close to us, measured against the vast scale of the universe.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Kanaan liked Busch because their personalities were similar.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Huge personalities on both sidelines.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
21 May 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
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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
-
Kofman’s article chronicles the path of such ideas from the fringes to the mainstream, outlining their influence on figures such as Peter Thiel, Stephen Miller, and Elon Musk.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
State Department figures show 6,066 — or 99% — of the refugees were from South Africa, while the other three hailed from Afghanistan.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Among the ten skill clusters identified by the WEF as crucial for future employability, entrepreneurial skills—such as risk-taking, decision-making, and strategic vision—rank alongside analytical thinking, adaptability, and creative experimentation.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Depending on the time of year, guests can see planets, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and beyond.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Over the years, many notable dignitaries have stayed here; hence the names of the eight signature suites, which are named after an iconic political visitor, such as Roosevelt and John Adams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
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The voting panel includes an assortment of the sport’s dignitaries, including but not limited to representatives from NASCAR, track owners, former drivers, former owners, manufacturer representatives, media members and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion.—
Jeff Siner,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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