opus

[ oh-puhs ]

noun

, plural o·pus·es o·pe·ra [oh, -per-, uh, op, -er-, uh].

1. a musical composition.
2. one of the compositions of a composer, usually numbered according to the order of publication.
3. a literary work or composition, as a book: : op.

   Have you read her latest opus?

opus

/ ˈɔp-; ˈəʊpəs /

noun

1. an artistic composition, esp a musical work
2. often capital (usually followed by a number) a musical composition by a particular composer, generally catalogued in order of publication

   Beethoven's opus 61 is his violin concerto

Word History and Origins

Origin of opus¹

1695–1705; < Latin: work, labor, a work

Word History and Origins

Origin of opus¹

C18: from Latin: a work; compare Sanskrit apas work

Example Sentences

As the actor, author, and YouTube star gears up to release his opus to the public, he hit the red carpet in LA for a big premiere event.

From Essence.com

Fortunately, the filmmakers themselves have answered at least a few of the questions that arise from their ominous opus, which is now available on Amazon and other VOD platforms.

From Washington Blade

Ryan Day and Ohio State’s coaching staff conducted their magnum opus against Clemson.

From FiveThirtyEight

For his own part, he was little concerned with the labels others put on his opus.

From Washington Post

When I recently finished writing the story of my data, the magnum opus fit on fewer than two dozen printed pages.

From Nautilus

His newest opus is the Kickstarter financed Red Ball of a Sun Slipping Down.

From The Daily Beast

About praising and embracing the booty in all of its forms, the song, in a way, could be seen as an opus of sorts for Minaj.

From The Daily Beast

There was the dorm-room cult classic Fight Club and the endlessly quotable Mike Judge magnum opus Office Space.

From The Daily Beast

Then something wonderfully awful happened to help Roth complete his own libidinous opus.

From The Daily Beast

For years, it was her dream to create an illustrated “magnum opus” that addressed shortcomings in American sex education.

From The Daily Beast

He regarded his organ in St. Paul's Cathedral (rebuilt in 1899), as his magnum opus.

From Project Gutenberg

A wall so faced looked as if covered with a net (B in Fig. 59) and was therefore called opus rticultum.

From Project Gutenberg

To behold “Diana unveiled” was equivalent in alchemical terminology to attaining the magnum opus.

From Project Gutenberg

The works that bear a higher opus number than 65 were published after the composer's death by Fontana.

From Project Gutenberg

The Waltz without opus number and the Sonata, Op. 4, are likewise posthumous publications.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• magnum opus