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
Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025
The Food Lab is his magnum opus, with nearly 1000 pages of culinary know-how, delivered in his relaxed and easy-to-understand style, with plenty of pictures along the way.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2025
Quantum physics inspired Lijn’s magnum opus, Liquid Reflections (1968).
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 20 Dec. 2024
At the time of Interstellar’s release, critics and fans were quick to draw comparisons between Nolan’s sci-fi epic and Kubrick’s magnum opus.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for magnum opus 
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Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnum%20opus. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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magnum opus
noun
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