magnum opus

mag·num o·pus

M m

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [mag-nuh m oh-puh s]
- /ˈmæg nəm ˈoʊ pəs/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [mag-nuh m oh-puh s]
- /ˈmæg nəm ˈoʊ pəs/

Definitions of magnum opus words

noun magnum opus a great work, especially the chief work of a writer or artist: Proust's magnum opus is Remembrance of Things Past. 1
noun magnum opus music, literature: masterpiece 1
singular noun magnum opus A magnum opus is the greatest or most important work produced by a writer, artist, musician, or academic. 0
noun magnum opus a great work of art or literature, esp the greatest single work of an artist 0
noun magnum opus a great work, esp. of art or literature; masterpiece 0
noun magnum opus a person's greatest work or undertaking 0

See all 6 definitions of magnum opus

Information block about the term

Origin of magnum opus

First appearance:

before 1785

One of the 44% newest English words

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1785-95

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Magnum opus

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Magnum opus

magnum opus popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 36% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 73% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

magnum opus usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for magnum opus

noun magnum opus

jewel — a female given name.
masterpiece — a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.
masterstroke — a masterly action or achievement; an extremely skillful or effective action: War was avoided by a masterstroke of diplomacy.
masterwork — masterpiece.
piece de resistance — the principal dish of a meal.

All 7 Synonyms of magnum opus