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
Chris Malone Méndez, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Other artists have spent decades laboring over their magnum opuses—Michael Heizer and James Turrell, with their sprawling land projects in the American West (City and Roden Crater, respectively), spring to mind—but few, if any, have worked only on those pieces.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
After being glued to Nuggets’ bench, Peyton Watson responds with 3-point barrage in front of OKC’s bench
Nikola Jokic knows this is his magnum opus.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
The pop star in question is Alfred Moretti (played by John Malkovich), an enigmatic music icon who, after decades out of the spotlight, re-emerges to announce a new album billed as his magnum opus.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 14 Mar. 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 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnum opus
noun
Share