Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LUMINARY

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connect today's word to others: A luminary is a kind of lamp, or a person who's like a lamp: someone who brings light to others in a spiritual or intellectual way. A lamp incarnate. Luminary is based on the Latin lumen, meaning "light," a close relative of Latin lucere, "to shine." We've studied a bunch of words based on lucere; see if you can recall them: 1. To _luc_____ something is to make it really clear, or make it really easy to understand. 2. Something luc___ is, literally or figuratively, bright and shiny in a lovely way. 3. Luc_______s are the act of studying late at night, usually by lamplight. 4. Something __luc__ is clear: either it's see-through, or it's easy to understand. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "LUMINARY" A luminary can be:    1. an object in space that provides light, like the sun or the moon;    2. a man-made light, especially the kind we make by placing a candle inside a paper bag;    3. or a famous, inspirational person who reminds us of a shining light. That's the most common meaning used today, and the one we'll focus on in this issue. Pronunciation: LOO min air ee Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one luminary or multiple luminaries.) Other forms: Just the plural, "luminaries." How to use it: You can say that someone is a luminary or serves as a luminary. Or, say that someone is a luminary of a specific time or place or sphere ("these luminaries of the eighteenth century," "that luminary of mathematics"), or that someone is a luminary for a specific group of people. You might specify what kind of luminary someone is: an intellectual luminary, a Hollywood luminary, an Italian luminary, a (political) party luminary, etc. Most often, though, we talk about luminaries in the plural. "Photographs of luminaries hung on the wall." "The museum celebrates ten luminaries of literature." "She has interviewed notorious criminals and rising luminaries." examples: As more and more of them admit to assault and harassment, our luminaries are dimming. Soldiers and luminaries lie in the peaceful Hollywood Cemetery, which sprawls across acres of hills by the James River. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "luminary" means when you can explain it without saying "spiritual light" or "VIP." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(A certain group of people) now count(s) (someone) among (its/our/their) luminaries." Example: "Democrats--and women--now count Elizabeth Warren among their luminaries." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, see if you can associate a snippet of song lyrics with a word we’ve studied before. For example, here's Dave Matthews: "Wasting time, let the hours roll by doing nothing for the fun. A little taste of the good life." Those lyrics call to mind the word LOTUS-EATING. From our previous issue:  In "Everything," Michael Buble sings: "And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times It's you, it's you, you make me sing. You're every line, you're every word, you're everything." Do those lyrics call to mind the term RAISON D'ETRE, JEU D'ESPRIT, or MALAPROPOS? Why? Answer: RAISON D'ETRE. That's your reason for being, your reason for doing everything you do. Try this today: In "Tattoo," Jordin Sparks sings: "You're still a part of everything I do. You're on my heart just like a tattoo. Just like a tattoo, I'll always have you." Do those lyrics call to mind the word INDELIBLE, INCHOATE, or INAPPRECIABLE? Why? review today's word: 1. The opposite of LUMINARY could be A. LION. B. NONENTITY. C. GRAY EMINENCE. 2. In The Edinburgh Review, Henry Rogers aptly describes "great luminaries of philosophy and science" that have "_____" with "_____" through the years. A. trodden forward .. vigor B. shone on .. luster C. sailed on .. savvy Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B