oeuvre

noun

oeu·​vre ˈu̇-vrə How to pronounce oeuvre (audio)
ˈər-, 
ˈə-, 
ˈœ- How to pronounce oeuvre (audio)
plural oeuvres ˈu̇-vrə How to pronounce oeuvre (audio)
ˈə(r)-, 
ˈœ- How to pronounce oeuvre (audio)
Synonyms of oeuvre
: 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 of oeuvre

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Examples of oeuvre in a Sentence

a novel that occupies a relatively minor position in the author's oeuvre
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Contradictions like these are a hallmark across the artist’s oeuvre. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 The same could be said of Hermès’s entire horological oeuvre, which is steeped in watches that stand out from the usual suspects. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2026 Apparently, the Lost Weekend songwriter is familiar with the oeuvre of Brad Paisley too. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026 Collabs with now-ex girlfriend Avril Lavigne, Machine Gun Kelly, and one of his idols, Travis Barker, furthered his oeuvre. — Katherine Turman, SPIN, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oeuvre

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

Rhymes for oeuvre

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Browse Nearby Words

Oeta
oeuvre
of
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Cite this Entry

“Oeuvre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oeuvre. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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