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 luminous
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
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Carey will perform alongside several Italian music luminaries.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
Among the notable new names set to walk the halls of the ennui-addled series are Natasha Lyonne, Eli Roth, YouTube icon Trisha Paytas, True Blood star Sam Trammell, and Till luminary Danielle Deadwyler.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Noun
Speakers and other luminaries in attendance included San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Monica Montgomery Steppe, former state comptroller and California governor candidate Betty Yee, San Francisco Bay Area Assemblymember Mia Bonta, and many others.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Carey will perform alongside several Italian music luminaries.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
A lot of neighborhoods have luminary traditions that involve lining DIY paper lanterns along the streets and pathways.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
Among the notable new names set to walk the halls of the ennui-addled series are Natasha Lyonne, Eli Roth, YouTube icon Trisha Paytas, True Blood star Sam Trammell, and Till luminary Danielle Deadwyler.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminary
Noun
-
First, there are the concentric circle features, which look like wispy shells of ejecta blown off of the star.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The lesson came in the form of a book about eating less, handed to her by a male co-star.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But Savannah Guthrie's celebrity status has also garnered extensive resources from the federal and local government — including a $100,000 FBI reward for accurate information about her whereabouts or that could lead to an arrest and conviction of whoever took her.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Berlin Film Festival and its celebrity attendees have been under scrutiny so far this week after jury president Wim Wenders, Golden Bear recipient Michelle Yeoh, and Sunny Dancer star Neil Patrick Harris all declined to talk about cinema’s relationship with politics and the rise of fascism.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The activist also went full glam on her flight, looking radiant in bronzy makeup, complete with dark eyeliner, fluttery eyelashes, fluffy eyebrows, luminous skin, and glossy lips.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
-
You’re left with a luminous finish that changes according to the light.—
Paola Zamarripa,
Glamour,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That, in turn, affects models of how elements are spread through galaxies, since supernovae are major sources of heavy elements like iron.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Astronaut John Crichton falls into a wormhole and emerges in a remote galaxy where he's rescued by a sentient spaceship named Moya and its colorful convict crew.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And many of the media companies have great monetization but don’t really have any of the big personalities and audiences was a really interesting point.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
With a solid base and a strong personality, these sandals are made for spring and summer travel.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
None of the illuminated material is ionized; it’s merely lit up by the central star’s light that gets reflected off of all of the ejecta.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
There is a photo, too, of the doll itself, a nude little cherub packaged in a box designed to look like both a manger and an illuminated Bible.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Good footwear, plenty of water, and sun protection are must-haves.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Only a very small region of Antarctica lies in the path of annularity, a roughly 2,661-mile-long and 383-mile-wide (4,282 by 616 kilometers) corridor where the moon will cover about 96% of the sun's disk.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
International dignitaries who have been confirmed as set to join Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella include United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the UK’s Princess Anne and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
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In 1984, Alex van Heeren took over the property and transformed it into a luxury lodge that welcomed rock stars and dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminary. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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