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 repulsive-yet-beautiful magnum opus that remained has been tangled up in theories about Pasolini’s murder ever since.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
The Infamous served as Havoc and the late Prodigy’s magnum opus sophomore album, which reached No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1995.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
The Infamous served as Havoc and the late Prodigy’s magnum opus sophomore album, which reached No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1995.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magnum opus
masterpiece
Noun
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On the eve of the war, Jaujard, with the help of staff and volunteers, secretly arranged for the Mona Lisa and thousands of other masterpieces to be evacuated to the French countryside to protect them from looting.—
NPR,
NPR,
20 Oct. 2025
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The Harvard jokesters’ ad noted that a $10 million reward is being offered for the return of the 13 missing masterpieces that were taken from the Boston museum 35 years ago.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magnum%20opus. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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