Standard Lemma guide

opus

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈəʊpəs/
  • /ˈɒpəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊpəs
  • rhymes with -ɒpəs
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 P AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A work of music or set of works with a specified rank in an ordering of a composer's complete published works.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

Examples

  • Beethoven's "Razumovsky" Quartets, Op. 59, are considered by many to be the beginning of the Romantic era.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A work, especially of art.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The painter's last opus was a dedication to all things living, in a surprising contrast to all of his prior work.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

plural of OPU

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a musical work that has been created

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the composition is written in four movements

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: musical composition, composition, piece, piece of music

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: music

Narrower terms: morceau, sheet music, musical arrangement, arrangement, realization, realisation, intermezzo, allegro, allegretto, andante, introit, solo, duet, duette, duo, trio, quartet, quartette, quintet, quintette, sextet, sextette, sestet, septet, septette, octet, octette, bagatelle, divertimento, serenade, canon, etude, pastorale, pastoral, idyll, idyl, toccata, fantasia, passage, musical passage, movement, largo, larghetto, suite, symphonic poem, tone poem, medley, potpourri, pastiche, nocturne, notturno, adagio, song, vocal, study, capriccio, motet, program music, programme music, incidental music

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h3ep- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h3épos Proto-Italic *opos Latin opusbor. English opus Borrowed from Latin opus.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: опус (opus) — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Czech: opus — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Finnish: opus — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Italian: opus — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Polish: opus — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Russian: о́пус (ópus) — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Swedish: opus — a work of music or set of works with a specified rank
  • Finnish: teos — a work, especially of art
  • Russian: о́пус (ópus) — a work, especially of art