luminary

noun

lu·​mi·​nary ˈlü-mə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce luminary (audio)
plural luminaries
Synonyms of luminary
1
: a person of prominence or brilliant achievement
a literary luminary
a luminary in the medical profession
2
: a body that gives light
especially : one of the celestial bodies (such as a star)
skywatchers … will see one more bright luminary below Orion and Canis Major —Martin Ratcliffe
luminary adjective

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As, dare we say, leading lights of the dictionary game, we're here to brighten your day with the 411 on luminary. This word has been casting its glow in English since the 15th century, and it traces back to the Latin word lumen, meaning "light." Other lumen descendants in English include illuminate ("to light up"), luminous ("emitting light"), phillumenist ("one who collects matchbooks or matchbox labels"), and bioluminescence ("the emission of light from living organisms").

Synonyms of luminary

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Examples of luminary in a Sentence

luminaries of the art world awed by the vast number of luminaries in the night sky
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodie Foster, screenwriters Paul Schrader and Nicholas Pileggi, Spike Lee, and Daniel Day-Lewis (Miller’s husband) are among the luminaries who appear in the series. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026 Over the years, the convention center arena has hosted a who’s who of music luminaries, the kind of acts people tell their kids and grandkids about years after seeing them. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026 Then in 2024, at the Paris Olympic Games, her golden statue rises from the Seine, alongside other female luminaries Simon Veil and Simone de Beauvoir. — Annika Pham, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 The maze will give thousands of families a place to go to spend time together this fall through the first week of November, but also to mourn and feel a little closer to Parton, a luminary who left a legacy of music, homespun sense and good deeds. — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for luminary

Word History

Etymology

Middle English luminarye "lamp, source of spiritual light," borrowed from Anglo-French luminarie, luminaire "celestial body, source of light, important person, lamp, candle," borrowed from Late Latin lūmināria, plural (later taken as feminine singular) of lūmināre "opening to let in light, source of light, lamp, torch, heavenly body, important person," from Latin lūmin-, lūmen "light, source of light, opening to let in light" + -ar, -āre, variant (after stems with an l) of -al, -āle, nominalized forms of -ālis -al entry 1 — more at lumen

Note: The earliest Anglo-French attestations, luminaries and luminaires in the Oxford and Cambridge Psalters, are also the earliest French attestations from any source. The vernacular outcome of lūmināria is lumière, which co-occurs in an early text (Chrétien de Troyes, Cligés) with luminaire, though the latter is found just once. — The Latin word lūmināre is attested once in the classical language, in Cato's De agri cultura 14.2. The Oxford Latin Dictionary translates it as "lamp," though the context, a list of items needed to construct and furnish a farm building, suggests that lūmināria have some relationship to windows.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of luminary was in the 15th century

Rhymes for luminary

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Browse Nearby Words

luminarist
luminary
luminate
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Cite this Entry

“Luminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luminary. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

luminary

noun
lu·​mi·​nary ˈlü-mə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce luminary (audio)
plural luminaries
1
: a very famous person
2
: a source of light
especially : one of the heavenly bodies
luminary adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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