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

Some are human, some are not, and most end up getting ignored, for whatever reason, by the critics and curators who write about Jafa’s oeuvre, which may just count as the most influential body of work produced by any living artist active today. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

The latest addition to her oeuvre, The Phoebe Variations, is a wildly original story of complicated and unlikely family arrangements, the fluidity of identity, and just about every kind of love imaginable. — Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

To Vecchi, Eco’s oeuvre is similarly a loose constellation of different works that, although produced for different audiences and contexts, speak to one another. — Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026

Those sporting looks from the Browne oeuvre and taking in the scene included Junia Lin, Isan Elba, Jack Cameron Kay, Ian Bradley, and Tom Sachs—new headphones included. — Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 27 Sep. 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