magnum opus

noun

mag·​num opus ˈmag-nəm-ˈō-pəs 

: a great work

especially : the greatest achievement of an artist or writer

Did you know?

You may recognize magnum (meaning "great") as a Latin word that shows up in altered forms in several English words, and perhaps you can also come up with a few words that are related to opus ("work"). Magnitude, magnanimous, opulent, and operate are some obvious relations of the two. Magnum opus, which entered English in the 18th century, retains the original Latin spelling and the literal meaning "great work." Although the term most often refers to literary, musical, or artistic productions, it has been used to describe many kinds of great works, including games, construction projects, and even surgical techniques.

Synonyms

• chef d'oeuvre
• classic
• masterpiece
• masterwork

Examples of magnum opus in a Sentence

His last novel was his magnum opus.

this symphony is usually considered Beethoven's magnum opus

Recent Examples on the Web

Curses was his sprawling magnum opus to showcase Inform's potential, and many IF authors have cited it as both a watershed work and a personal inspiration. —Anna Washenko, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024

The Oscar winner’s latest dabble in the genre might be his most ambitious yet: a Dad Movie magnum opus about the American Civil War and the taming of the Old West, released in two halves over the course of the summer. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 20 May 2024

More than 50 years elapsed between the 1543 publication of Copernicus’s magnum opus, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), and the broad scientific acceptance of the heliocentric model of the universe. —Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024

For his magnum opus, The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick set about telling the smallest possible story — the mid-20th-century coming-of-age of a Texas boy who shares some biographical details with Malick — and the largest possible story, leaping from the beginning of time to the afterlife. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

magnum opus

noun

mag·​num opus ˌmag-nə-ˈmō-pəs 

: a great work and especially the greatest achievement of an artist or writer