oeuvre

noun

oeu·​vre ˈu̇-vrə 

ˈər-,

ˈə-,

ˈœ- 

plural oeuvres ˈu̇-vrə 

ˈə(r)-,

ˈœ- 

: a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer

a catalogue of Rembrandt's oeuvre

scrupulously examines Dickens' oeuvre in order to demonstrate how his convictions helped to determine the shape of his novels

—G. J. Worth

Synonyms

• corpus

Examples of oeuvre in a Sentence

a novel that occupies a relatively minor position in the author's oeuvre

Recent Examples on the Web

Dern makes impassioned and thought-provoking assertions about the primacy of Inland Empire in Lynch’s oeuvre, and the archival behind-the-scenes footage of the director at work on that freewheeling, multi-year indie project is especially revealing. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025

Her oeuvre is typified by large-scale figurative sculptures, often of metal or wood and by her use of textiles. —News Desk, Artforum, 13 May 2025

Something of a curiosity within Antonioni’s oeuvre, the shot-on-video Mystery of Oberwald marked the final collaboration between Vitti and the director who anointed her his muse. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 May 2025

At the time of the purchase, the couple was unaware of the site’s significance within van Gogh’s oeuvre. —Angelica Villa For Artnews, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "work," going back to Old French ovre, going back to Latin opera "activity, effort, attention, work," collective derivative from oper-, opus "work, effort, product of labor" — more at opus

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oeuvre

• louvre