WORD OF THE DAY: LUMINARY
noun | LOO-muh-nair-ee
What It Means
A luminary is a person of prominence or brilliant achievement. The word luminary may also refer to a celestial body, such as the sun or moon.
// Luminaries of the arka world congregated at the international conventio
Examples of LUMINARY
“The upcoming documentary will dive deep into the lives of the next generation of basketball luminaries, Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, and Breanna Stewart, as well as WNBA legend, Sheryl Swoopes.” — Okla Jones, Essence, 18 Dec. 2023
Did You Know?
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”).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary