Word
oeuvre
Phoneticsoeu·vre
US/ˈɝv/
UK/ˈɜːvɹɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. the total collection of works created by one person, especially an artist or writer. It is a fancy way to talk about all the things someone has made in their career.
n. the total body of creative work produced by an artist, writer, or composer. Often used to describe the collective output of a specific period or style.
Examples
“The museum is hosting a show of his entire oeuvre.”
“Critics often compare the director's early films to his later work to see how his entire oeuvre evolved.”
“While the artist's individual paintings are striking, it is only by examining his entire oeuvre that one can fully grasp the radical shifts in his color palette and thematic focus.”
Examples
simple
“The museum is hosting a show of his entire oeuvre.”
contextual
“Critics often compare the director's early films to his later work to see how his entire oeuvre evolved.”
complex
“While the artist's individual paintings are striking, it is only by examining his entire oeuvre that one can fully grasp the radical shifts in his color palette and thematic focus.”
Real-World Examples
“The source material picks from the oeuvres of Bob Dylan, Jennifer Lopez, the Human League, Barbra Streisand and Chris Cornell’s short-lived grunge supergroup Temple of the Dog, among others.” “It’s a bold entry from near the beginning of this choreographer’s astounding oeuvre.” Etymology
From French œuvre, from Old French uevre, from Latin opera (plural of Latin opus), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- (“work”). Doublet of opera, opus, and ure.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/oeuvre