luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs How to pronounce luminous (audio)
1
a
: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light
luminous objects—the nebula, the stars, the planetsLincoln La Paz
b
: of or relating to light or to luminous flux
2
: bathed in or exposed to steady light
luminous with sunlight
3
: clear, enlightening
a luminous explanation
4
: shining, illustrious
a luminous film star
a luminous performance
luminously adverb
luminousness noun

Did you know?

Luminous, like its synonyms radiant, shining, glowing, and lustrous, is generally a positive adjective, especially when it describes something that doesn't literally glow, such as a face, a performance, or a poem. Luminous signs depend on a gas such as neon, krypton, argon, xenon, or radon—and you can use luminous (DayGlo) paint to make your own signs. New technologies have now given us luminous fabrics, which are being used to produce striking or creepy effects in clothing, upholstery, and interior surfaces.

Choose the Right Synonym for luminous

bright, brilliant, radiant, luminous, lustrous mean shining or glowing with light.

bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.

radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

Examples of luminous in a Sentence

I saw the cat's luminous eyes in my car's headlights. a watch with a luminous dial The room was luminous with sunlight.
Recent Examples on the Web Both man and town have seen better days, but both, too, are buoyed by optimism: the doctor, with his daughter Petra (a luminous Victoria Pedretti), opens his home to the town’s strata of young and open-minded folk to take his mind off of things. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Crouch, who is recalled in the book as both a luminous writer and a belligerent colleague, was fired from the Voice in 1988 after getting into a fistfight with another writer. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for luminous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'luminous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin luminosus, from lumin-, lumen

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near luminous

Cite this Entry

“Luminous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luminous. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

luminous

adjective
lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs How to pronounce luminous (audio)
1
: giving off light : shining
2
: being lighted
a public square luminous with sunlight
3
: clear entry 1 sense 3
luminous writing
4
luminously adverb
luminousness noun

Medical Definition

luminous

adjective
lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs How to pronounce luminous (audio)
1
: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light
2
: of or relating to light or to luminous flux

More from Merriam-Webster on luminous

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