opus

noun

ˈō-pəs How to pronounce opus (audio)
plural opera ˈō-pə-rə How to pronounce opus (audio) ˈä- How to pronounce opus (audio) also opuses ˈō-pə-səz How to pronounce opus (audio)
Synonyms of opusnext
: work entry 2 sense 3b
… produced a vast opus on the history of civilization.—Norman Cousins
At present he is planning the Pumpkins' next release, a double-album opus that is bound to delight the fans who snatched up his band's last release …—Chris Mundy
especially : a musical composition or set of compositions usually numbered in the order of its issue
the composer's first opus
"… opus numbers are meant to indicate the chronological order of musical pieces, although sometimes they indicate the order of publication rather than the exact order of composition. Sometimes it's actually scholars who make chronological catalogs long after the composers have died. …" —Miles Hoffman

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A literary opus is often a single novel, though the word may sometimes refer to all of a writer's works. But opus normally is used for musical works. Mendelssohn's Opus 90 is his Italian Symphony, for example, and Brahms's Op. 77 is his Violin Concerto. Since many composers' works were never given opus numbers in an orderly way, they now often have catalog numbers assigned by later scholars. So Haydn's Symphony No. 104 is Hob.104 (Hob. is short for Anthony van Hoboken, the cataloger), and Mozart's Marriage of Figaro is K.492 (K. stands for Ludwig Köchel).

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of opus in a Sentence

the composer's final opus was performed posthumously to great acclaim
Recent Examples on the Web Reports from the renowned festival (which often launches prestige projects into the market and/or positions select Oscar contenders in the awards race at large) indicated that the 61-year-old's grotesque opus received a 13-minute standing ovation following its world premiere Sunday night. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 20 May 2024 Pappas is thrilled to finally have his opus on display. —Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for opus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin oper-, opus (plural opera) "work, effort, product of labor, work of art," going back to Indo-European *h3ep-os-, *h3ep-es- "work" (whence also Sanskrit apas- "work, action"), derivative of *h3ep- "ability, force," whence Latin op-, *ops "power, ability, wealth, resource(s)," and, with varying suffixation, Sanskrit apnas- "possession, property, work," Hittite happina- "rich," happir-, happar- "business, trade," Germanic *afla- (whence Old English afol "power, might," Old Norse afl "strength"); and, with lengthened ablaut grade, Sanskrit āpas- "work, religious act," Avestan huuāpah- "performing good deeds," Germanic *ōbjan- "to perform" (whence Old Saxon oƀian "to celebrate," Old High German uoben, uoppen "to practice, exercise")

Note: Possibly also related are Old Norse efna "to perform, fulfill," Old English efnan "to accomplish, achieve" (from Germanic *abnjan-?), but this is uncertain.

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of opus was in 1808

Phrases Containing opus

Dictionary Entries Near opus

opuntioid

opus

opus anglicanum

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Opus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opus. Accessed 2 Jun. 2024.

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Kids Definition

opus

noun
ˈō-pəs How to pronounce opus (audio)
plural opera
ˈō-pə-rə,
ˈäp-ə-
 also opuses ˈō-pə-səz How to pronounce opus (audio)
: work entry 1 sense 7
especially : a musical composition or set of compositions

More from Merriam-Webster on opus

Nglish: Translation of opus for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of opus for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about opus

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