luminaries

noun

plural of luminary
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

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
  1. stars
  2. celebrities
  3. galaxies
  4. personalities
  5. suns
  6. figures
  7. clusters
  8. dignitaries
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
  • In the time since her sudden death, celebrities publicly mourning include Viola Davis, Selma Blair, and Rosie O’Donnell.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Many celebrities shared tributes for Panettiere online after news broke of her death.
    — Marc Malkin, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of celebrities
Noun
  • Its observations helped refine the age of the Universe, study black holes, discover thousands of galaxies, and capture some of the most iconic images ever taken from space.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Turnshek’s research as an astronomer has primarily focused on galaxy formation and quasars, the luminous cores of distant, ancient galaxies.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of galaxies
Noun
  • But the Iran war cannot be blamed entirely on the influence of individual personalities.
    — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Courtesy of Xfinity/Rock Studios Reality television introduces audiences to fresh personalities, many of whom go on to establish careers after their time on the show.
    — Jacqueline Jevtich, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of personalities
Noun
  • Expect slim crescent suns to be photographed slipping beneath the horizon from across Central Europe.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • His suns stare curiously from one side of a page spread to another and his stacks of hay worriedly study the horizon, while his one-eyed stools and one-eyed fenceposts pop up like eager cyclopses.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 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
  • 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
  • There it was met by Ivorian minister of culture Francoise Remarck, along with local dignitaries and residents.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dignitaries

Browse Nearby Words

luminance
luminaries
luminary
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Cite this Entry

“Luminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminaries. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of luminaries for Spanish Speakers

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