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
Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 May 2024
Yet to imagine that an 85-year-old filmmaker, who’s suffered great loss and experienced great love, who’s spent a lifetime thinking about history’s heroes and villains and thinkers, and who’s willing to risk it all for one last magnum opus can’t really be considered naive.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for magnum opus 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnum opus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Magnum opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnum%20opus. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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magnum opus
noun
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