as in masterpiece
something (as a work of art) that is a great achievement and often its creator's greatest achievement
this symphony is usually considered Beethoven's magnum opus
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Recent Examples of magnum opus
The result was not just an album, but a cultural touchstone—widely regarded as Blige’s magnum opus.
—
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 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
With Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys’ 1966 magnum opus, Wilson turned his outsider’s fear inside-out.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
The idea of the singularity has existed since black holes first emerged from the solutions to Albert Einstein's magnum opus theory of gravity, general relativity, which was published in 1916.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 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
With Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys’ 1966 magnum opus, Wilson turned his outsider’s fear inside-out.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
The idea of the singularity has existed since black holes first emerged from the solutions to Albert Einstein's magnum opus theory of gravity, general relativity, which was published in 1916.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magnum opus
masterpiece
Noun
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Ivy moved to America to become a culinary force but her food masterpieces are now mainly served up for their two kids.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
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To be clear, Supreme Clientele 2 isn’t the masterpiece that the original 2000 album is.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magnum%20opus. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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