magnum opus
noun
Did you know?
You may recognize magnum (meaning "great") as a Latin word that shows up in altered forms in several English words, and perhaps you can also come up with a few words that are related to opus ("work"). Magnitude, magnanimous, opulent, and operate are some obvious relations of the two. Magnum opus, which entered English in the 18th century, retains the original Latin spelling and the literal meaning "great work." Although the term most often refers to literary, musical, or artistic productions, it has been used to describe many kinds of great works, including games, construction projects, and even surgical techniques.
Examples of magnum opus in a Sentence
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
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
See All Example Sentences for magnum opus
Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnum%20opus. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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magnum opus
noun
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