oeuvre

noun

oeu·​vre ˈu̇-vrə 

ˈər-, 

ˈə-, 

ˈœ- 

plural oeuvres ˈu̇-vrə 

ˈə(r)-, 

ˈœ- 

: a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer

a catalogue of Rembrandt's oeuvre

scrupulously examines Dickens' oeuvre in order to demonstrate how his convictions helped to determine the shape of his novels

—G. J. Worth

Synonyms of oeuvre

• output
• corpus

Examples of oeuvre in a Sentence

a novel that occupies a relatively minor position in the author's oeuvre

Recent Examples on the Web

The Fort Worth and Fort Collins shows—the former the only 1976 show ever officially pressed to vinyl, the latter released to streaming services without notice a week before the box’s arrival—are instant classics of Dylan’s entire live oeuvre. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2026

Under the new license, the maison was also able to craft one watch annually that pulled from the artist’s oeuvre. — Nicole Hoey For Robb Report, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

There’s plenty of interest in Burton revisiting other parts of his oeuvre too. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026

The painting also speaks to the influential role of music in Kandinsky’s oeuvre. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "work," going back to Old French ovre, going back to Latin opera "activity, effort, attention, work," collective derivative from oper-, opus "work, effort, product of labor" — more at opus

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oeuvre

• louvre