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
The tribute ultimately grew to 150 luminaries in her honor.
—
Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
According to organizers, the AfroCuban setlist will touch on works by such luminaries as Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Marco and many others.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Long an astute observer of discovery and rediscovery, whether the subject is a city or herself, Sante—having emerged from a tight circle of luminaries including Jim Jarmusch, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Nan Goldin—is now on the precipice of a second artistic renaissance.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
The momentum behind bipartisan college sports legislation was on full display on the Hill on Wednesday, with luminaries like former Alabama Coach Nick Saban touting the bill during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing and former quarterback Dan Marino pitching it to Senate Republicans at lunch.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
Audrey Hepburn was among the luminaries Ronald Reagan hosted at the White House.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
Rocky has a reverence for the rap luminaries in attendance this evening.
—Jeff Ihaza, VIBE.com, 2 June 2026
As anxiety has mounted about depressed entry-level hiring, with Gen Z crowds even booing luminaries such as Eric Schmidt amid commencement speeches touting AI, Dimon has given warm but blunt advice to ambitious young workers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Not only is it located in the vibrant neighborhood of Saint-Georges, which has long been home to artistic luminaries including Charles Baudelaire, George Sand, James Joyce, and Victor Hugo, but the apartment building itself was once home to French literary icon Guy de Maupassant.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 29 May 2026
Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
According to organizers, the AfroCuban setlist will touch on works by such luminaries as Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Marco and many others.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Long an astute observer of discovery and rediscovery, whether the subject is a city or herself, Sante—having emerged from a tight circle of luminaries including Jim Jarmusch, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Nan Goldin—is now on the precipice of a second artistic renaissance.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
The momentum behind bipartisan college sports legislation was on full display on the Hill on Wednesday, with luminaries like former Alabama Coach Nick Saban touting the bill during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing and former quarterback Dan Marino pitching it to Senate Republicans at lunch.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
Audrey Hepburn was among the luminaries Ronald Reagan hosted at the White House.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
Rocky has a reverence for the rap luminaries in attendance this evening.
—Jeff Ihaza, VIBE.com, 2 June 2026
As anxiety has mounted about depressed entry-level hiring, with Gen Z crowds even booing luminaries such as Eric Schmidt amid commencement speeches touting AI, Dimon has given warm but blunt advice to ambitious young workers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Not only is it located in the vibrant neighborhood of Saint-Georges, which has long been home to artistic luminaries including Charles Baudelaire, George Sand, James Joyce, and Victor Hugo, but the apartment building itself was once home to French literary icon Guy de Maupassant.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminaries
Noun
-
At the time, the former HSMTMTS stars had been broken up for a while, and Bassett moved on with Carpenter.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
-
Statham is one of the world’s most successful action stars, with a global box office surpassing $8 billion across his career with such major franchises as The Meg, Fast & Furious, and The Beekeeper under hie belt.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Add our favorite white pants to your cart, then keep scrolling for more stylish picks inspired by celebrities.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
People are fixating on celebrities of all kinds, accusing singers of body-positive anthems of being hypocritical, rolling their eyes at athletes promoting weight loss drugs and whispering about the thinness of their favorite movie stars.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
This is where constellations like Leo, Virgo and Coma Berenices host dozens of faint galaxies — most invisible to the naked eye and small optical-only telescopes, even in excellent conditions.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
-
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,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Those keen on his appointment may well hope his approach to managing the squad’s difficult personalities can unlock a more effective way of motivating Madrid’s galacticos to put in the hard yards.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
One by one, many of the network’s most prominent on-air personalities have made their displeasure known, sinking morale among the rank-and-file and prompting leaks and internal frustration.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
28 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
-
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
-
His broad network of advisers includes many prominent figures, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, investor Stanley Druckenmiller, and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, all of whom appeared at his swearing-in last month at the White House.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
Altogether, Russia fired 656 drones and 73 missiles at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukrainian Air Force figures, which said the vast bulk of the drones and just over half of the missiles were shot down.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Even if that worked for Palm Beach County, there are no similar millionaire clusters in poor counties to pick up the slack.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
-
What grabbed my attention were the intriguing, foot-long violet flower clusters known as panicles hanging amidst the slender, dark green leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The backstory Once the late real estate billionaire Douy Steyn’s family home, this sprawling property became a hotel in 2000 and has hosted some of the world’s top dignitaries.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
In the 16th and 17th centuries, when Genoa was at its financial peak as a seafaring republic, these typically Baroque palazzi, owned by the city’s elites, were chosen by the government to host visiting dignitaries.—
Catherine Sabino,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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