Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "magnum opus" come from? It comes from Latin magnum opus, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "magnum opus" come from? It comes from Latin magnum opus, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).
Magnum opus’s story begins in Latin: magnum opus meant “great work.” Great work, from magnus (great) and opus (work). It reached English by 1700s as magnum opus. Latin 'great work'; alchemists used it for making the philosopher's stone. Today, magnum opus means the greatest and most important work of a person's career.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient magnum opus "great work", great work, from magnus (great) and opus (work).
- Stage 2 · English · 1700s magnum opus "a person's greatest or most important work", Latin 'great work'; alchemists used it for making the philosopher's stone.