oeuvre

American  

[œ-vr^uh] / ˈœ vrə /

noun

French.

plural

oeuvres

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.

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oeuvre British  

/ œvrə /

noun

1. a work of art, literature, music, etc

2. the total output of a writer, painter, etc

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of oeuvre

ultimately from Latin opera, plural of opus work

Example Sentences

Curators say they’re looking at her oeuvre more closely now because her influence on younger artists keeps expanding, lately to those with disabilities who admire her raw, vulnerable portrayal of her own pain.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was by the grace of her academic spirit that her oeuvre expanded into other languages, genres and instruments; in “She Wolf” she dabbled in dance-pop.

From Los Angeles Times

You would have to go back to Handel’s 42 operas, Mozart’s 22 or Verdi’s oeuvre for operatic equivalence.

From Los Angeles Times

The combination of the Welshman’s grim poetics and the singer’s apocalyptic incantations gets the set off to a powerful start and signals something entirely new for the Charli XCX oeuvre.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I am aware that these art historical categories exist in my oeuvre, but I’m not seeking them out,” Tillmans explained after the walk-through.

From Los Angeles Times