Luminary

Noun

 * 1) One that is an inspiration to others; one who has achieved success in his chosen field; a leading light.
 * played host to a huge gathering of international luminaries -- Edmund Stevens
 * 1) An artificial light; an illumination.
 * 2) A body that gives light; especially, one of the heavenly bodies.

Related terms

 * illuminate
 * luminous

Adjectives for Luminary
legal; heavenly; glorious; kindliest.

Thesaurus
VIP, actinic, big, big name, big-timer, candle, catoptric, celebrity, chief, constellation, cynosure, electric light bulb, electronics king, eminence, figure, fire, first-rater, flame, folk hero, galaxy, genius, glim, great man, heliographic, heliological, hero, heroine, honcho, idol, illuminant, illuminator, immortal, important person, incandescent body, king, lamp, lantern, lead, leader, leading light, light, light bulb, light source, lion, luminal, luminant, luminaries, man of mark, master spirit, match, moon, nabob, name, notability, notable, paramount, person of note, personage, photic, photoactinic, photologic, pleiad, pop hero, popular hero, popular idol, prima donna, principal, prodigy, public figure, social lion, somebody, source of light, star, stars, sun, superstar, taper, top dog, topnotcher, torch, virtuoso, wonder, worthy

Etymology
From luminaria < luminare < lumen.

Translations

 * Dutch: 1. uitblinker, lichtend voorbeeld    2. Lichtbron    3. Hemellichaam, ster