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

/ ˈəʊpəs; ˈɔp- /

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

His magnum opus was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” widely agreed upon as the bestselling album of all time.

From Los Angeles Times

The playwright has downplayed any direct link between the legendary rock group and his play, which dramatizes the tense recording sessions of a 1970s band uncannily like Fleetwood Mac perfecting a magnum opus strikingly similar to “Rumours.”

From Los Angeles Times

While many associate Opus Dei with The Da Vinci Code and warmed-over conspiracy theories, British financial journalist Gareth Gore has shown that the group remains active and prominent.

From Slate

Gore’s new book, Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church, traces the group from its origins in Franco’s Spain to its rising influence in Washington, D.C., where it has focused on capturing the federal judiciary and shifting it far to the right.

From Slate

Another quote that appears in the New York magazine piece is from Father Arne Panula, the vicar of Opus Dei, who was based in New York from 1998 to 2002, and who became director of the CIC until his death in 2017.

From Slate

Related Words

• magnum opus