as in masterpiece
something (as a work of art) that is a great achievement and often its creator's greatest achievement
this symphony is usually considered Beethoven's magnum opus
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Recent Examples of magnum opus
Oppenheimer had its box-office haul, plus the notion that Christopher Nolan had finally made his magnum opus.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
The repulsive-yet-beautiful magnum opus that remained has been tangled up in theories about Pasolini’s murder ever since.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
The result was not just an album, but a cultural touchstone—widely regarded as Blige’s magnum opus.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Because of his experiences with the Bomarc, and his place in American Empire, Pynchon’s magnum opus contains everything from Loony Tunes, to Nazis, to the technical specifications of a German V2 rocket—Pynchon’s Melvillian whale.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
The repulsive-yet-beautiful magnum opus that remained has been tangled up in theories about Pasolini’s murder ever since.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
The result was not just an album, but a cultural touchstone—widely regarded as Blige’s magnum opus.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Because of his experiences with the Bomarc, and his place in American Empire, Pynchon’s magnum opus contains everything from Loony Tunes, to Nazis, to the technical specifications of a German V2 rocket—Pynchon’s Melvillian whale.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magnum opus
masterpiece
Noun
-
No is poet Idea Vilariño’s final masterpiece, where poetry becomes both refusal and resilience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Smith’s diving interception, which would have essentially put away an eventual 27-19 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and added an exclamation point to a defensive masterpiece by Baltimore, didn’t count.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magnum%20opus. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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