magnum opus
noun
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.
Examples of magnum opus in a Sentence
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
In terms of style and scale, parts of it feel like a warm-up for his 1984 magnum opus Amadeus, but the film’s ruminations on American identity and aspirations at the dawn of an American century are all its own.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
Fans were already excited to hear My Chemical Romance’s magnum opus live, but the feeling was compounded by the band’s homecoming to New Jersey in the state’s largest venue.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 10 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
Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnum%20opus. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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magnum opus
noun
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