opus

See also: öpüş and OPUs

English

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈəʊpəs/, /ˈɒpəs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊpəs, -ɒpəs

Noun

opus (plural opuses or opera)

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

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

2. A work, especially of art.

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

Usage notes

The most common plural of opus in English is opuses. Some people use the Latin plural, opera. Opi is fairly common in the field of classical music, though mostly in informal contexts. The use of any of these three pluralizations may result in the speaker being corrected, though opi, above all, should be avoided in formal contexts. Outside of music, the word opus sees particularly frequent use in the expression magnum opus.

Abbreviations: op., Op.

Derived terms

• opuscule

Related terms

• opus anglicanum
• opus caementicium
• opus incertum
• opus latericium
• opus magnum
• opus operantis
• opus operatum
• opus quadratum
• opus reticulatum
• opus sectile
• opus spicatum
• opus vermiculatum

Translations

a work of music or set of works with a specified rank

• Bulgarian: опус m (opus)
• Czech: opus (cs) m
• Finnish: opus (fi)
• Italian: opus (it)
• Polish: opus (pl) n
• Russian: о́пус (ru) m (ópus)
• Swedish: opus (sv) n

a work, especially of art

• Finnish: teos (fi)
• Russian: о́пус (ru) m (ópus)

Anagrams

• POUs, PUOs, Pous, pous, puso, soup

Czech

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃épos

Proto-Italic *opos

Latin opusbor.

Czech opus

Borrowed from Latin opus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈopus]
• Hyphenation: opus

Noun

opus m inan

1. opus

Declension

Declension of opus (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	opus	opusy
genitive	opusu	opusů
dative	opusu	opusům
accusative	opus	opusy
vocative	opuse	opusy
locative	opusu	opusech
instrumental	opusem	opusy

Related terms

Related terms

• kooperace
• kooperativní
• kooperovat
• manévr
• manévrovat
• opera
• operace
• operační
• operand
• operátor
• opereta
• operní
• operovat

Further reading

• “opus”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “opus”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Anagrams

• puso

Dutch

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin opus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈoː.pʏs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: opus

Noun

opus n (plural opera or opussen, diminutive opusje n)

1. opus

Related terms

• oeuvre
• opera

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin opus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈopus/, [ˈo̞pus̠]
• Rhymes: -opus
• Syllabification^(key): o‧pus
• Hyphenation^(key): opus

Noun

opus

1. (colloquial) book
2. (music) opus

Declension

Inflection of opus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		opus	opukset
genitive		opuksen	opusten opuksien
partitive		opusta	opuksia
illative		opukseen	opuksiin
		singular	plural
nominative		opus	opukset
accusative	nom.	opus	opukset
	gen.	opuksen
genitive		opuksen	opusten opuksien
partitive		opusta	opuksia
inessive		opuksessa	opuksissa
elative		opuksesta	opuksista
illative		opukseen	opuksiin
adessive		opuksella	opuksilla
ablative		opukselta	opuksilta
allative		opukselle	opuksille
essive		opuksena	opuksina
translative		opukseksi	opuksiksi
abessive		opuksetta	opuksitta
instructive		—	opuksin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of opus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative opukseni opukseni accusative nom. opukseni opukseni gen. opukseni genitive opukseni opusteni opuksieni partitive opustani opuksiani inessive opuksessani opuksissani elative opuksestani opuksistani illative opukseeni opuksiini adessive opuksellani opuksillani ablative opukseltani opuksiltani allative opukselleni opuksilleni essive opuksenani opuksinani translative opuksekseni opuksikseni abessive opuksettani opuksittani instructive — — comitative — opuksineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative opuksesi opuksesi accusative nom. opuksesi opuksesi gen. opuksesi genitive opuksesi opustesi opuksiesi partitive opustasi opuksiasi inessive opuksessasi opuksissasi elative opuksestasi opuksistasi illative opukseesi opuksiisi adessive opuksellasi opuksillasi ablative opukseltasi opuksiltasi allative opuksellesi opuksillesi essive opuksenasi opuksinasi translative opukseksesi opuksiksesi abessive opuksettasi opuksittasi instructive — — comitative — opuksinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative opuksemme opuksemme accusative nom. opuksemme opuksemme gen. opuksemme genitive opuksemme opustemme opuksiemme partitive opustamme opuksiamme inessive opuksessamme opuksissamme elative opuksestamme opuksistamme illative opukseemme opuksiimme adessive opuksellamme opuksillamme ablative opukseltamme opuksiltamme allative opuksellemme opuksillemme essive opuksenamme opuksinamme translative opukseksemme opuksiksemme abessive opuksettamme opuksittamme instructive — — comitative — opuksinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative opuksenne opuksenne accusative nom. opuksenne opuksenne gen. opuksenne genitive opuksenne opustenne opuksienne partitive opustanne opuksianne inessive opuksessanne opuksissanne elative opuksestanne opuksistanne illative opukseenne opuksiinne adessive opuksellanne opuksillanne ablative opukseltanne opuksiltanne allative opuksellenne opuksillenne essive opuksenanne opuksinanne translative opukseksenne opuksiksenne abessive opuksettanne opuksittanne instructive — — comitative — opuksinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative opuksensa opuksensa accusative nom. opuksensa opuksensa gen. opuksensa genitive opuksensa opustensa opuksiensa partitive opustaan opustansa opuksiaan opuksiansa inessive opuksessaan opuksessansa opuksissaan opuksissansa elative opuksestaan opuksestansa opuksistaan opuksistansa illative opukseensa opuksiinsa adessive opuksellaan opuksellansa opuksillaan opuksillansa ablative opukseltaan opukseltansa opuksiltaan opuksiltansa allative opukselleen opuksellensa opuksilleen opuksillensa essive opuksenaan opuksenansa opuksinaan opuksinansa translative opuksekseen opukseksensa opuksikseen opuksiksensa abessive opuksettaan opuksettansa opuksittaan opuksittansa instructive — — comitative — opuksineen opuksinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• opusluettelo
• opusnumero

Further reading

• “opus”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Anagrams

• sopu, supo

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin opus. Doublet of œuvre and opéra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.pys/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Noun

opus m (invariable)

1. opus, artistic work

   Synonym: œuvre

Further reading

• “opus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Galician

Verb

opus

1. (reintegrationist norm) first-person singular preterite indicative of opor

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin opus. Doublet of the inherited Old Italian uopo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔ.pus/
• Rhymes: -ɔpus
• Hyphenation: ò‧pus

Noun

opus m

1. opus

Latin

Alternative forms

• op. (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *opos, from a Proto-Indo-European *h₃ép-os (“work”), from the verbal root *h₃ep- (“to work”), whence also ops and omnis. Cognates include Sanskrit अपस् (ápas, “work, action”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɔ.pʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɔː.pus]

Noun

opus n (genitive operis); third declension

1. work, labor, accomplishment

   Synonyms: cōnātus, studium, opera, labor, cūra, intēnsiō, mōlēs, pulvis

   • 8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 6.348:

     cessat opus; vacuae conticuēre molae

     Work stops; the empty millstones have fallen silent.

2. workmanship, artwork, work (of art, literature, etc.)

   Synonym: cūra

3. need, necessity

   Synonyms: egestās, pēnūria, paupertās, dēsīderium, necessitās, inopia, indigentia, ūsus

   opus esse +nom. or +abl. of the thing needed ― to have need of, there is need of

   alicui opus est aliquo ― someone needs something

   opus est ― it is necessary

   mihi frumentum non opus est ― I do not need the grain

   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 26.1:

     Si supplemento opus esset, suppleret de legionibus quibus P. Cornelius pro praetore in Sicilia praeesset, […]

     If reinforcements were needed, he should supply them with the legions which Publius Cornelius, propraetor, was in charge of in Sicily, […]

   • 1683 [1637], René Descartes, Geōmetria, section 1, page 1:

     Omnia Geōmetriae Problēmata facile ad hujusmodī terminōs redūcī possunt, ut deinde ad illōrum cōnstrūctiōnem, opus tantum sit rēctārum quārundam līneārum longitūdinem cognōscere.

     All Problems of Geometry can easily be reduced to such terms, that afterwards for their construction, there is only need [or it is only necessary] to get to know the length of certain straight lines.

4. art, skill (when in the ablative)

   Synonyms: opera, ars, artificium

5. (Ecclesiastical Latin) work (of God), deed, (miraculous) work
6. (in adverbial phrases) extent
   • 166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 868:

     CHREMĒS: Āh, nē saevī tantō opere. (Or, elided) Āh, nē saevī tantopere.

     (Literally) Ah, don’t be savage to such a great extent. (Or, simply) Oh, don’t be so cruel.
     (Grammar: tantō is an ablative singular adjective modifying the ablative singular noun opere. Together they form an ablative of manner or degree: “to such an extent.” The conjoined version, tantopere, functions as a single adverb with the same meaning.)

7. (in Roman architecture) masonry, construction technique, construction material

   opus africanum, opus craticum, opus emplectum, opus gallicum, opus incertum, opus isodomum, opus latericium, opus mixtum, opus quadratum, opus reticulatum, opus vittatum, etc. ― various types thereof, see The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture, 2015, pp.536-537

Usage notes

The sense of "need" is used only in the nominative and accusative singulars.

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	opus	opera
genitive	operis	operum
dative	operī	operibus
accusative	opus	opera
ablative	opere	operibus
vocative	opus	opera

Derived terms

• magnopere
• magnum opus
• manuopus
• opera
• operistitium
• operor
• opusculum
• quantopere
• tantopere

Descendants

(Note: see opera for descendants of the plural form.)

• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: opus, obus
• Balkano-Romance:
  • Romanian: op
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: uopo
• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Old French: ues, oes, ⇒ estovoir
    • French: œux, ⇒ œusage (all dialectal, Burgundy)
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Old Catalan: ops, obs
  • Old Occitan: ops
    • Occitan: òps (dialectal)
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Old Spanish: uebos, huebos

Borrowings:

• → Bulgarian: опус (opus)
• → Catalan: opus
• → Czech: opus
• → Dutch: opus
• → Finnish: opus
• → French: opus
• → English: opus
• → Italian: opus
• → Portuguese: opus
• → Portuguese: opus
• → Romanian: opus, op
• → Russian: о́пус (ópus)
• → Spanish: opus
• → Swedish: opus

Further reading

• “opus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “opus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• opus in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2026), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• "opus", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “opus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to devote every spare moment to...; to work without intermission at a thing: nullum tempus intermittere, quin (also ab opere, or ad opus)
    
  • to entreat earnestly; to make urgent requests: magno opere, vehementer, etiam atque etiam rogare aliquem
    
  • to do work (especially agricultural): opus facere (De Senect. 7. 24)
    
  • to take a task in hand, engage upon it: opus aggredi
    
  • to take a task in hand, engage upon it: ad opus faciendum accedere
    
  • a work of art: artis opus; opus arte factum or perfectum
    
  • a master-piece of classical work: opus summo artificio[TR1] factum
    
  • a master-piece of classical work: opus omnibus numeris absolutum
    
  • to polish, finish a work with the greatest care: perpolire, limare diligenter librum, opus
    
  • to contract for the building of something: opus locare
    
  • to undertake the contract for a work: opus redimere, conducere
    
  • tillage; cultivation: opus rusticum
    
  • a town artificially fortified: oppidum manu (opere) munitum
    
  • to set fire to the siege-works: ignem inferre operibus (B. C. 2. 14)
    
  • in short; to be brief: ne multa, quid plura? sed quid opus est plura?
    
  • (ambiguous) to strain every nerve, do one's utmost in a matter: omni ope atque opera or omni virium contentione eniti, ut
    
  • (ambiguous) designedly; intentionally: de industria, dedita opera (opp. imprudens)
    
  • (ambiguous) to put the finishing touch to a work: extrema manus accēdit operi (active extremam manum imponere operi)
    
  • (ambiguous) to let out public works to contract: locare opera publica
    
  • (ambiguous) to raise siege-works: opera facere
    

Portuguese

Verb

opus

1. first-person singular preterite indicative of opor

Romanian

Etymology 1

Past participle of opune (based on pus, past participle of pune).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oˈpus/
• Rhymes: -us

Adjective

opus m or n (feminine singular opusă, masculine plural opuși, feminine/neuter plural opuse)

1. opposite, contrary
2. reverse

Declension

Declension of opus

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	opus		opusă	opuși	opuse
	definite	opusul		opusa	opușii	opusele
genitive- dative	indefinite	opus		opuse	opuși	opuse
	definite	opusului		opusei	opușilor	opuselor

Noun

opus

1. the opposite, contrary
2. reverse

Synonyms

• contrar

Participle

opus

1. past participle of opune

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin opus. Compare also the inherited doublet op, as well as operă.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈo.pus/

Noun

opus n (plural opusuri)

1. opus, musical composition or work