:Magnum opus

[edit] Etymology

From Latin magnum opus (“‘great work’”).[1]

[edit] Pronunciation

* (Latin) IPA: /ˌmaŋnũː ˈopus/, SAMPA: /%maNnu~: "opus/
* (RP) enPR: măg'nəm ōʹpəs, IPA: /ˌmægnəm ˈəʊpəs/, SAMPA: /%m{gn@m "@Up@s/
* (US) enPR: măg'nəm ōʹpəs, IPA: /ˌmægnəm ˈɔʊpəs/, SAMPA: /%m{gn@m "OUp@s/

[edit] Noun

Singular
magnum opus

Plural
magna opera or magnum opuses or magnum opi

magnum opus (plural magna opera or magnum opuses or magnum opi)

1. A great work of literature or art, a masterpiece.
2. The best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author or artist, representing his major life effort.

[edit] Usage notes

Examples of magna opera: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes; In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust; Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci; and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles.

The Latin plural magna opera may be preferred in some academic and literary contexts, in popular usage the English-style plural magnum opuses is more common. The plural magnum opi, although rare and likely regarded as incorrect in formal works, does see some use.

[edit] Synonyms

* masterpiece
* seminal work

 

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[2]

[3]

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[1] Starfeather, qtd. in Adele Nozedar, The Secret Language of Birds (London: HarperElement, 2006) 129.

[2] Adele Nozedar, The Secret Language of Birds (London: HarperElement, 2006) 222.

[3] Solomon Trismosin, Solomon Trismosin -- Splendor Solis --- The complete text with color plates (Alchemy), 16 March 2009, 16 March 2009
<http://www.rexresearch.com/splsol/trismosin.htm>.

[4] Hauptschlussel, qtd. in Alexander Roob, The Hermetic Museum: Alchemy & Mysticism (Koln: Taschen GmbH, 2001) 151.