Masterpiece and Opus

Masterpiece

Masterpiece noun - Something (as a work of art) that is a great achievement and often its creator's greatest achievement.

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Opus and masterpiece are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Opus" instead a noun "Masterpiece".

Opus noun - A literary, musical, or artistic production.

Usage example: the composer's final opus was performed posthumously to great acclaim

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Masterpiece and opus are semantically related. You can use "Masterpiece" instead a noun "Opus".

musical	musical masterpiece	musical opus
original	original masterpiece	original opus
single	single masterpiece	single opus
unfinished	unfinished masterpiece	unfinished opus
Other adjectives: new, major, next, named, comic, literary.

If the creator views any subsequent work(s) as superior to the overshadowing 'masterpiece', then it may also be a case of Magnum Opus Dissonance.

Source: Tough Act to Follow
Magnum Opus Dissonance: Soulless moneymakers will be more popular than the painstaking masterpiece.

Source: Laws and Formulas

Cite this Source

Opus and Masterpiece. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/masterpiece/opus

Masterpiece & Opus. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/masterpiece/opus>.

Opus or Masterpiece. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/masterpiece/opus.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "masterpiece" and "opus" have occurred on timeline