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
Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The showpiece occasion has previously featured such luminaries as Diego Maradona, Usain Bolt and Robbie Williams.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Along with De La Soul, the film features interviews with other Long Island luminaries such as Rakim, Method Man, Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Keith Shocklee, and EPMD’s Parrish Smith and Erick Sermon.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
George Wendt, Gavin Creel, James Earl Jones, Dame Maggie Smith and Tony Roberts were among the beloved stars and theater luminaries honored.
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Adjective
That all of these screen luminaries apparently just popped to Anderson’s set for a day to film a tiny scene is indicative of where the auteur stands at this point in his 31-year career.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The showpiece occasion has previously featured such luminaries as Diego Maradona, Usain Bolt and Robbie Williams.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Along with De La Soul, the film features interviews with other Long Island luminaries such as Rakim, Method Man, Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Keith Shocklee, and EPMD’s Parrish Smith and Erick Sermon.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
George Wendt, Gavin Creel, James Earl Jones, Dame Maggie Smith and Tony Roberts were among the beloved stars and theater luminaries honored.
—Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for luminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminary
Noun
-
Unlike with Batman, which has lured major stars, the directors and producers of Superman movies have generally cast young, strapping unknowns, a certain blankness as the baseline for both Kal-El and Clark Kent.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
11 July 2025
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This season’s guest stars include Neil Patrick Harris as Lowell, Krysten Ritter as Mia, Eric Stonestreet as Al and David Dastmalchian as Gareth.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Also an elite golfer, Pavelski had an opportunity to kiss a trophy on Sunday, when he was presented with a crystal chalice after a walk-off eagle gave him first place at the 2025 American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
The series takes a group of celebrities to the Bahamas – the shark capital of the world – and tasks them with diving with a different species of shark, with the breeds getting bigger and more dangerous each time.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
All month – Milky Way core: The bright central bulge of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is visible all night through August.—
John Tufts,
The Courier-Journal,
11 July 2025
-
Then, some very serious things start happening in the galaxy.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Renegade Paws Rescue's honest assessment of Igor's personality garnered the attention of thousands of animal lovers, who shared the post over 35,000 times.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
As a media personality, Bongino spent years cultivating an impressive following on the right, many of whom remain behind him in this current fight.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
No white cast, no excessive rubbing—just luminous skin that’s shielded by SPF45 protection.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
10 July 2025
-
Ali had ceased looking towards the horizon long before the luminous blue of it became a mock memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The island’s sun can be scorching, especially to visitors unfamiliar with its power.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
-
Avoid placing it on flat, hard surfaces, especially those that may heat up in the sun.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
The king, perhaps, was anxious to maintain his control over the nuts as a diplomatic resource—a means of impressing important dignitaries.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
26 June 2025
-
One of Wishman’s most Sapphic films is this gritty black-and-white sexploitation shocker about assassins who weasel their way into an apartment shared by two lesbians in order to kill a foreign dignitary.—
Erik Piepenburg,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Fourth of July, also referred to as Independence Day, has been celebrated across the United States since 1776 — and nearly 250 years later, big cities, small towns, counties and states alike continue to cap off the night with dazzling displays of fireworks.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
4 July 2025
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Music City is gearing up to celebrate Independence Day with another dazzling fireworks display and concert.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminary. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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