# luminary

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈluːmɪn(ə)ɹi/ · frequency rank #60,251

## Definitions
1. One who is an inspiration to others; one who has achieved success in one's chosen field; a leading light.
2. A body that gives light; especially, one of the heavenly bodies.
3. An artificial light; an illumination.

## Etymology
From Late Middle English lūminārī, lūminārīe (“lamp; source of spiritual light, example of holiness; glory”), borrowed from Old French luminarie (“lamp, lights, lighting; candles; brightness, illumination”), variant of luminaire (“light fixture”) (modern French luminaire), from Medieval Latin lūminārium, from lūmināre (“that which gives light; light; lamp; body giving light, especially a heavenly body”), from lūmen (“light; brightness”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine”)) + -āris (suffix forming adjectives indicating a relationship or a pertaining to). Doublet of luminaire.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/luminary