oeuvre

[ œ-vruh ]

noun

, French.

, plural oeu·vres [œ, -v, r, uh].

1. the works of a writer, painter, or the like, taken as a whole.
2. any one of the works of a writer, painter, or the like.

oeuvre

/ œvrə /

noun

1. a work of art, literature, music, etc
2. the total output of a writer, painter, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of oeuvre¹

ultimately from Latin opera, plural of opus work

Example Sentences

Across America, too, parents were naming their children after characters in Scott’s oeuvre.

From Salon

If “Juror #2” is this all-time-great filmmaker’s last effort, it may come across like a quiet goodbye: measured conversations replacing his oeuvre’s well-known violence and death.

From Los Angeles Times

However when discussing his success, Burton tells us that he rejects the term "Burtonesque" even though it's widely used in popular culture to describe his oeuvre.

From BBC

But the most famous — and notorious — of Han’s oeuvre is “The Vegetarian,” a darkly surreal tale about a woman who spirals into madness after vowing to give up meat.

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps more notably, there are academics who devote large chunks of their career to "The Shining," either on its own or as part of Kubrick's grander cinematic oeuvre.

From Salon

More About Oeuvre

What does oeuvre mean?

An artist’s oeuvre is their total body of work.

Oeuvre can also refer to a single work of art, but it most commonly refers to the collective work of an artist over a lifetime.

Oeuvre is a formal word most commonly used in the discussion of artists like painters, composers, and literary figures. Because it’s a French loanword and it’s a kind of hard to pronounce, oeuvre is sometimes considered a bit pretentious.

Example: Common throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s oeuvre is the theme of indulgence, most evident in his standout novel The Great Gatsby.

Where does oeuvre come from?

The first records of oeuvre in English come from the 1800s. It’s borrowed from French and ultimately derives from the Latin word opera, which is the plural of opus, meaning “work.” (Oeuvre also appears in the French-derived term hors d’oeuvres, which literally translates to “outside the work,” referring to appetizers that are not part of the main course.)

A singular work by an artist can be called an opus (and their greatest achievement can be called their magnum opus). Oeuvre can refer to a single work of art, but it’s much more commonly used to refer to everything they’ve ever done—especially when discussing or analyzing the major themes or styles they’ve focused on throughout their career. For that reason, an artist’s oeuvre is often discussed after their death or retirement. Still, it’s possible to talk about an artist’s oeuvre up until the current moment, especially if they have a substantial collection of work.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to oeuvre?

• oeuvres (plural)

What are some synonyms for oeuvre?

• body of work
• collective works
• corpus 
• output

What are some words that share a root or word element with oeuvre? 

• hors d’oeuvre
• opus
• opera

What are some words that often get used in discussing oeuvre?

• art
• artist
• work
• painter
• composer
• writer
• novelist
• canon
• magnum opus

How is oeuvre used in real life?

Oeuvre is typically used in artistic criticism when analyzing the major themes in an artist’s work.

I love most of your favourites, too. But Robert Heinlein is the only author whose entire oeuvre I've devoured – several times over. 😁

— Terri Moore (@AquilakaHecate) April 10, 2020

Everyone is sharing their favorite pop emo albums or whatever, and I'm busy going deep into the Charlie Musselwhite oeuvre, I really am closer to 40 than 25, smh

— Andrew Winistorfer (@thestorfer) April 14, 2020

I’m thrilled to announced the forthcoming publication of an article co-authored by my kids and me, in which we argue, based on a month long intensive research, that the quality of Dr. Seuss’ oeuvre is seriously uneven.

— Udi Greenberg (@udi_greenberg) April 11, 2020

 

 

Try using oeuvre!

Is oeuvre used correctly in the following sentence?

I majored in literature and spent most of my time analyzing Shakespeare’s oeuvre.