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DictionaryopusCreative work
noun

opus

OH-puhs/ˈəʊpəs/

An artistic work, especially a musical composition.

The bound score of the composer's opus lies beside a violin.

A composer's completed bound musical score lies beside a violin, page marks abstract rather than readable.
Etymology
opusLatinwork, labor

Latin opus could mean labor or a work produced. English uses the word especially for a musical or literary composition, treating the finished creation as a “work.”

In context

Dr Laurence Shafe12:01
his magnum opus that is his um his best work the Fresco cycle
10-03 Piero della Francesca

More examples

  • The orchestra performs her latest opus tonight.
  • His first novel is a sprawling opus about family life.
  • This sonata is listed as opus 12 in the catalog.

Forms

opus · opuses · opera

composition noun — An original piece of written music.

Similar words

work
A broader term for any artistic or intellectual creation.
piece
A more everyday term, without suggesting a large or ambitious creation.