LUMINARIES Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

luminaries

noun

plural of luminary

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

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 Last year, luminaries like Conan O’Brien, Ryan Murphy, and Viola Davis were all honored at the event, which closed out the festival on a high note. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 Trump’s close ties to sports luminaries have helped him on the campaign trail and are paying off this summer, with the Senate scheduled for its first votes on the bill next month. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Jamison also didn’t put anyone who played before 1974 on his team, leaving out older luminaries like Charlie Scott, Bobby Jones, Walter Davis, Bob McAdoo, Billy Cunningham and Lennie Rosenbluth. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 From above, an outdoor terrace is outfitted especially for hosting recruits or other luminaries, complete, for the time being, with basketball courts and pickleball. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 The exam’s board also includes many conservative luminaries, including Christopher Rufo, as well as philosopher, Cornel West. — Chris Quintana, USA Today, 30 July 2026 These luminaries provided unique perspectives on innovation and the future. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Among the most famous of the Bronzeville joints was the 708 Club, which often featured such luminaries as Waters, Diddley, Elmore James, Memphis Minnie, Sunnyland Slim, and Howlin’ Wolf. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026 This remarkable proportion is the very reason why these two luminaries appear identical in size from our perspective here on the planet. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries

Noun

Some of Disney's biggest stars, storytellers and leaders will soon officially join the ranks of Disney Legends.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Here’s a rundown of the actors starring in the MCU’s X-Men reboot and the stars who have played the roles before them.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of stars

Noun

Their clear ideological viewpoints, brands, and the willingness of most of their personalities to stick around have insulated networks like Fox News and MS NOW from the sharp decline in viewership eating away at much of the rest of cable television.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
In the enneagram, there are nine different personalities, or types.

— Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of personalities

Noun

Such streamers are thought to be how stars grow, delivering mass onto nascent suns.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026
The prevalence of LRDs in the early universe would align with the emergence of supermassive black holes, each weighing millions to billions of suns apiece, which astronomers spy at the hearts of large galaxies.

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of suns

Noun

Team-mate Mbaye has also been discussed this summer but senior Liverpool figures insist their interest has only been exploratory to date and strongly dismissed suggestions that personal terms have already been agreed with the 18-year-old.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
The past year has seen the first prosecutions of soldiers and military figures using classified knowledge to make money on these prediction markets.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of figures

Noun

The group’s survey efforts are mostly organized into 17 clusters, each containing 12 to 16 individual collection sites spread out in a grid of roughly 14 square miles.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Multiple outbreaks, only one tied to lettuce Not all of these clusters have been linked to the same source, however.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of clusters

Noun

Also among the dignitaries present was the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, who came to Colombia amid a wider mission to shore up support for his nation.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
The school back then had a solid curriculum and robust extracurricular offerings, including a world-class band that played for numerous dignitaries, which later in the century would include President Richard Nixon.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of dignitaries

Browse Nearby Words

luminance

luminaries

luminary

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“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of luminaries

noun

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