oeuvre

noun

oeu·​vre ˈu̇-vrə 

ˈər-,

ˈə-,

ˈœ- 

plural oeuvres ˈu̇-vrə 

ˈə(r)-,

ˈœ- 

: a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer

a catalogue of Rembrandt's oeuvre

scrupulously examines Dickens' oeuvre in order to demonstrate how his convictions helped to determine the shape of his novels

—G. J. Worth

Synonyms

• corpus

Examples of oeuvre in a Sentence

a novel that occupies a relatively minor position in the author's oeuvre

Recent Examples on the Web

In an age of image inundation — when the violence of fascist regimes are on full display — revisiting Cole’s oeuvre serves as a reminder of the power of acknowledging what lays before you. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024

Just like professional artists who work and rework a set of ideas and motifs, Mackintosh, Miller and Scott spent decades honing private languages, resulting in oeuvres that embody their powerful personal visions. —Jonathan Griffin, New York Times, 7 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "work," going back to Old French ovre, going back to Latin opera "activity, effort, attention, work," collective derivative from oper-, opus "work, effort, product of labor" — more at opus

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above