1
as in star
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 celebrity
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
as in lighted
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of luminary
Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In Chicago, a city obsessed with sports, Sandberg approached a level of superstardom that at the time placed him among luminaries such as Michael Jordan and Walter Payton.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 July 2025
No wonder so many Hollywood luminaries have been shipping their kids off to New England for nearly eight weeks every summer — far from the privilege and polish of L.A. life and straight into the land of lanyards and communal childhood trauma.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 26 July 2025
Other music luminaries, including Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Sting, Garth Brooks, Jackson Browne and Nas also pop in to expound on what has made Joel one of the preeminent musicians of the past 50 years.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Adjective
How Falk and other luminaries such as Jeremy Lieb, Dan Wright and Jose Salazar were setting a new tone for dining out in Cincinnati with exciting new restaurants that broke away from the city's past while still deeply respecting it.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In Chicago, a city obsessed with sports, Sandberg approached a level of superstardom that at the time placed him among luminaries such as Michael Jordan and Walter Payton.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 July 2025
No wonder so many Hollywood luminaries have been shipping their kids off to New England for nearly eight weeks every summer — far from the privilege and polish of L.A. life and straight into the land of lanyards and communal childhood trauma.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 26 July 2025
Other music luminaries, including Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Sting, Garth Brooks, Jackson Browne and Nas also pop in to expound on what has made Joel one of the preeminent musicians of the past 50 years.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminary
Noun
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Magazines invented and distributed the photo shoot, created literary stars like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Malcolm Gladwell and David Foster Wallace.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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And sports stars and Mahatma Gandhi and Florence Nightingale and more than 20,000 other pieces, and with them, a question: What's to become of it all? Krasula, closing on 77, never had kids.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In her place, another celebrity, Lord of the Rings and Rudy star Sean Astin, and a rank-and-file performer, New England Local board member Chuck Slavin, are battling it out for the job.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Aug. 2025
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The next morning began with a workout led by celebrity trainer Isaac Boots, reinforcing the connection between physical stamina and professional performance.—
Jane Hanson,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Yet these candidates shine far brighter than current models of early galaxy formation predict.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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However, just to make sure, the astronomers also eliminated any nearby asteroids or spacecraft that might be in front of the star or any distant galaxies that might be behind it.—
David Szondy
August 14,
New Atlas,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The movie features pervasive positivity, one really cool canine, a bright comic book aesthetic and a fresh superhero landscape filled with colorful personalities.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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With a career spanning over a decade, Chiquis is a three-time Latin Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, TV personality and entrepreneur.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For the resolutely matte-averse, there is still hope: The line also features satin-finish shades in luminous hues of pink, brown, and red.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
14 Aug. 2025
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The woody-spicy citrus scent for men uses luminous top notes of fresh ginger, bergamot and citrus (lemon petitgrain) to create a powerful sensation of freshness that quickly cedes to deeper, spicy, mineral heart notes, notably that of Timut pepper.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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It's hoped that NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will reveal hundreds of thousands of previously undetected exoplanets — planets orbiting stars other than the sun — and reveal systems containing planets that align from Earth's point of view.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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The sun was going down, and the shade was really crazy.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With so many dignitaries visiting, the White House is having to make use of sitting parlors that are not typically used as offices such as the Red Room and Blue Room.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
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In Canton, he was received as a dignitary, and honored with livestock, tools, and European goods.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Key Facts Best seen at least an hour before sunrise, the most dazzling members of the parade will be Venus and Jupiter in the eastern sky.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Henry Winkler flashes a dazzling smile while attending the Midsummer Scream Halloween & Horror Convention on Aug. 17. Taika Waititi celebrates his 50th birthday with wife Rita Ora in Ibiza, Spain, on Aug. 16.—
Brendan Le,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminary. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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