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
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2024
The past six weeks have arguably been Pelosi’s magnum opus in the art of power.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2024
The Documentary, which is largely regarded as his magnum opus, was released on January 18, 2005.
—Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 5 Aug. 2024
So there was little warning that the budding auteur, who turned 29 the day his magnum opus opened, would knock us sideways.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for magnum opus 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnum opus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnum%20opus. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
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magnum opus
noun
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