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
Oppenheimer had its box-office haul, plus the notion that Christopher Nolan had finally made his magnum opus.
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
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 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
Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
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 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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Add in the flourishes provided by Poku and Kofane, in particular — the former’s opening goal last weekend was a masterpiece — and the picture is of a brittle but talented group, clearly in a development stage, but with obvious potential in key areas.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Our list of sci-fi horror novels spans from 20th-century classics to modern masterpieces, all testing how far humanity goes before reason falters and horror takes over.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magnum%20opus. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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