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noun [ S ] formal uk / ˌmæɡ.nəm ˈəʊ.pəs / us / ˌmæɡ.nəm ˈoʊ.pəs / Add to word list. the most important piece of work done by a writer or artist: Picasso's Guernica is considered by many to be his magnum opus. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Foreign words & phrases used in English. acciaccatura. adagio. adieu. al dente. al fresco.
magnum opus. noun. /ˌmæɡnəm ˈəʊpəs/. /ˌmæɡnəm ˈəʊpəs/. [singular] (from Latin) a large and important work of art, literature or music, especially one that people think is the best work ever produced by that artist, writer, etc.
A masterpiece, magnum opus, or chef-d'œuvre ( French for 'master of work'; pl. chefs-d'œuvre; French: [ʃɛ.d‿œvʁ]) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship.
noun. a great work of art or literature, esp the greatest single work of an artist. magnum opus. The most important work in a person's career, especially in literature, art, or scholarship: “ Moby Dick was Melville 's magnum opus.”. From Latin, meaning “great work.”.
Britannica Dictionary definition of MAGNUM OPUS. [singular] : a great work : the greatest achievement of an artist or writer. His last novel was his magnum opus. MAGNUM OPUS meaning: a great work the greatest achievement of an artist or writer.
Usually used for an artist's or author's greatest work, it can also be used ironically to refer to other great works — like your reorganized closet or your poem to your valentine. Definitions of magnum opus. noun. a great work of art or literature. see more.
The earliest known use of the noun magnum opus is in the late 1700s. OED's earliest evidence for magnum opus is from 1791, in a letter by James Boswell, lawyer, diarist, and biographer of Samuel Johnson. magnum opus is a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: Latin magnum opus.
