Definition of magnum opusnext
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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of magnum opus Tied for the longest game in the 121-year history of the World Series, at 18 innings, the outing will largely be remembered as the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani’s second magnum opus of the fall (more on his first later). Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025 Slaughter of the Soul, the band’s 1995 magnum opus, is constantly hailed as one of the defining extreme metal albums, along with being one of the most influential metal albums of the last 30 years. Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Oppenheimer had its box-office haul, plus the notion that Christopher Nolan had finally made his 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 See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for magnum opus
masterpiece
Noun
  • Near the campuses of Loyola University New Orleans and Tulane University sits Bayou Hot Wings, where chefs Allen Nguyen and Kyle Makepeace have created a different kind of masterpiece.
    Matt Moore, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
  • In the late 18th century, just a few decades before Mary Shelley wrote her science fiction masterpiece, the Italian surgeon Luigi Galvani jolted the scientific community with experiments that used metal and electricity to compel disembodied frog legs to kick.
    Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026

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“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/magnum%20opus. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.

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