oeuvre

noun

oeu·vre ˈu̇-vrə

ˈər-,

ˈə-,

ˈœ-

plural oeuvres ˈu̇-vrə

ˈə(r)-,

ˈœ-

Synonyms of oeuvre next

: 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

Examples of oeuvre in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web Yet as this new novel clicks neatly into place, completing her oeuvre’s historical arc, Senna faces a new challenge. —

Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024 Press releases for the painting highlighted these motifs, which recur frequently throughout Basquiat’s oeuvre. —

George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 31 July 2024 From 1963 to 1966, theaters offered gems with titles that included not just Beach Party, the first of the oeuvre, but Muscle Beach Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and even—not kidding—The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. —

Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 20 July 2024 June Leaf, whose idiosyncratic oeuvre was shaped by a desire to find new ways of seeing the world, died of gastric cancer on July 1 at her Manhattan home. —

News Desk, Artforum, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for oeuvre

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oeuvre.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of oeuvre was in 1889

See more words from the same year