LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

opera

opera f (genitive operae)
Classical[ˈɔ.pɛ.ra]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔː.pe.ra]
№ 843 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. femininework, pains, exertion, effort, labour
    operae non est (+ infinitive)there is no need to, there is no time to
    […] nec hōc tempore sine hominum operā aut pāscere eās aut domāre aut tuērī aut tempestīvōs frūctūs ex iīs capere possēmus[…] and we cannot in the present either pasture them or break them in or take care of them or obtain the timely fruit from them without the labour of humans44 BCE, Cicero, De officiis 2.4.14
  2. feminineservice, rendering of a service
    […] Cn. Pūpium, quī est in operīs eius societātis […][…] Gnaeus Pupius, who is in the service of that association […]62 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 13.9.3
  3. femininewith dative
    Ego ĭstūc aetātis nōn amōrī operam dabam […]When I was your age I wasn't giving much attention to love […]163 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Heauton Timorumenos 1.1.63
    […] absolūtōque Rhōdum sēcēdere statuit, et ad dēclīnandam invidiam et ut per ōtium ac requiem Apollōniō Molōnī clārissimō tunc dīcendī magistrō operam daret.[…] with him acquitted, he resolved to leave for Rhodes, to escape the hate as well as to pay attention in rest and recreation to Apollonius Molon, then the most distinguished teacher of speaking.121 CE, Suetonius, De vita Caesarum Vita divi Iuli 4
  4. feminineuncommonwith ad + accusative
    Vōs omnīs opere magnō esse ōrātōs volōI want you all to be asked with great care to kindly give attention to our company of actors.c. 180 BCE, Plautus, Casina prologus.0.21–22
  5. femininewith ut/nē + subjunctive
    Omnem operam dedī, ut mē multitūdinī ēdūcerem et aliquā dōte nōtābilem facerem.I took all the care to withdraw myself from the multitude and by some talent make myself distinguished.c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor 2.3
    Dent operam cōnsulēs, praetōrēs, tribūnī plēbis—quīque prō cōnsulibus sunt ad urbem—nē quid rēs pūblica dētrimentī capiat.May the consuls, praetors, tribunes of the people—and those who are near the City—take care that nothing bad happens to the Republic.c. 48 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello civili 1.5.3
  6. femininewith the subjunctive alone
    Ut exercitum locīs habeam opportūnīs, prōvinciam tuear, etiam sī ille exercitus descīerit, omniaque integra servem dabō operamI shall take care to keep the army in suitable locations, to protect my province even if that army defects, and to preserve the whole position uncompromised62 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 10.21
  7. Old Latinfemininerarewith the infinitive
    […] magis hūmānum est quam dare operam id scīre[…] would it not be more human to turn a blind eye to that than take the trouble to find out165 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Hecyra 4.1.37–38
  8. feminineone's fault, agency, doing
    […] et fallāciīs abiisse eum abs tē meā operā atque astūtiā;[…][…] and by deceit he went away from you by my doing and astuteness; […]c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 3.5.20–21
  9. Old Latinfeminine(in the ablative, with experior) one's own experience
    spurcificum, immānem, intolerandum, vēsānum: contrā operā expertusobscene, frightful, intolerable, crazy: unlike how I've known you in my experiencec. 195 BCE, Plautus, Trinummus 4.1.7
  10. Old Latinfeminine(with ūnā or eādem) manner, way
    Et quidem Alcumeus atque Orestēs et Lycurgus posteāAnd then Alcumeus and Orestes and Lycurgus are my friends in the same manner as this one is.c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 3.4.30–31
  11. femininespare time for something (see Usage notes)
    […] dēest mihi quidem opera sed abest etiam ἐνθουσιασμός, quī nōn modo tempus sed etiam animum vacuum ab omnī cūrā dēsīderat.[…] I don't have the time, but the afflatus is absent too, which needs not only time but also a soul empty of every worry.c. 60 BCE – 54 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad Quintum fratrem 3.4.4
    […] neque cōnsulibus, cum tot populōrum bella imminerent, operae erat id negōtium agere.[…] nor was it worth the time of the consuls when wars from so many tribes were threatening.27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 4.8.3
  12. feminineplural normallya day's work or labour
    Cētera legūmina occupant operās sexāgintā, id est mēnsēs duōs.The other vegetables require sixty days' work, that is, two months.4 CE – c. 70 CE, Columella, De re rustica 2.12.18
  13. femininemetonymicallyday labourer, journeyman, farmhand
    […]Ōcius hinc tē[…] If you don't make off from here faster, you'll become the ninth farmhand on the Sabine field.c. 35 BCE, Horatius, Sermones 2.7.117–118
  14. broadlyfemininemetonymicallyany kind of worker or labourer
    Hic vōce, nūtū ēvocārī iubet operās pariterque ipse dēvolat.He orders by voice and by gesture the miners to be called outside, and rushes down in the same manner.77 CE – 79 CE, Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia 33.73
  15. derogatoryfemininemetonymicallyhired aider, tool, rowdy
    […] ut equidem mīrer hunc quoque ā nōnnūllīs argentārium atque etiam inter dīvīsōrēs operāsque campestrēs prōditum[…] so that I wonder that he too is alleged by some to have been a money-changer and even among the electoral bribe distributors and aiders in the Campus Martius121 CE, Suetonius, De vita Caesarum Vita Divi Augusti 3
  16. femininedeed, activity, effort
    Ante omnēs īnsignis operā fuit C. Popilī equitis; Sabellō cognōmen erat.More distinguished than others in deeds was Gaius Popilius the knight; Sabello was his cognomen.27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 41.4.6
  17. femininethat which is wrought or produced, a work, handiwork
    Iussīn columnīs dēicī operās araneōrum?Didn't I order, you scoundrel, Didn't I order the handiwork of spiders to be removed from the columns?c. 209 BCE, Plautus, Asinaria 2.4.19

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Mercenarii · Operarii · Operæ

Mercenarii mean laborers as far as they work, not for their own interest, but for pay, in opp. to the proprietor, who hires their services; whereas operarii and operæ, as far as they undertake to perform for others, a mere mechanical work, in opp. to the principal or director, who gives out the plan. Mercenarii refer to the motive; operarii, to the art employed being of an inferior sort. (vi. 217.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeoperaoperae
genitiveoperaeoperārum
dativeoperaeoperīs
accusativeoperamoperās
ablativeoperāoperīs
vocativeoperaoperae

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

labori, operae non parcere
to spare no pains.
operae pretium est (c. Inf.)
it is worth while.
valetudini consulere, operam dare
to take care of one's health.
operam (et oleum) perdere or frustra consumere
to lose one's labour.
operam alicui rei tribuere, in aliquid conferre
to expend great labour on a thing.
multum operae ac laboris consumere in aliqua re
to exert oneself very energetically in a matter.
operam (laborem, curam) in or ad aliquid impendere
to expend great labour on a thing.
egregiam operam (multum, plus etc. operae) dare alicui rei
to expend great labour on a thing.
3 more phrases
studiose (diligenter, enixe, sedulo, maxime) dare operam, ut...
to take great pains in order to...
videant or dent operam consules, ne quid res publica detrimenti capiat (Catil. 1. 2. 4)
let the consuls take measures for the protection of the state.
operam dare or simply se dare alicui, se tradere in disciplinam alicuius, se conferre, se applicare ad aliquem
to become a pupil, disciple of some one.

ŏpĕra, ae, f. opus,
I. service, pains, exertion, work, labor (opus is used mostly of the mechanical activity of work, as that of animals, slaves, and soldiers; opera supposes a free will and desire to serve).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: omnes, quorum operae, non quorum artes emuntur, Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150: sine hominum manu atque operā, id. ib. 2, 4, 14: operam exigere, id. ib. 1, 13: perdere, id. de Or. 1, 28, 126: praebere amicis, id. Brut. 47, 174: in re ponere, id. Clu. 57, 157: curamque in rebus honestis ponere, id. Off. 1, 6, 19: et laborem consumere in aliquā re, to bestow labor and pains on any thing, id. de Or. 1, 55, 234: studiumque in res obscuras conferre, id. Off. 1, 6, 19: tribuere rei publicae, id. Div. 2, 2, 7; sumere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 31, § 69: impendere, id. ib. 2, 2, 30, § 68: polliceri, Sall. C. 28, 1; 40, 6: insumere, Liv. 10, 18: dicare alicui, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 12: interponere, to bestow, employ, Cic. Div. in. Caecil. 19, 63: ipse dabat purpuram tantum, amici operas, gave their work thereto, i. e. wrought it, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 59: pleraque sunt hominum operis effecta, id. Off. 2, 3, 12: ibo, atque illam adducam, Quam propter opera est mihi, on whose behalf I am engaged, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 93: operam navare, Cic. Fam. 15, 12, 2; Liv. 25, 6, 15.—
B. In partic., a service, rendering of service: Cn. Pupius, qui est in operis ejus societatis, in the service of the society or company, Cic. Fam. 13, 9, 3: operae forenses, id. Fin. 1, 4, 10: P. Terentius, qui operas in portu et scripturā pro magistro dat, serves as director, id. ib. 13, 65, 11: ferrum istud bonas edet operas, will do good service, Sen. Prov. 2, 10: musis operas reddere, to do service to, to serve, Cic. Fam. 16, 10, 2: dare operas alicui, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 11.—
II. Transf.
A. Care, attention, exertion bestowed on any thing: deditā operā, seriously, with a purpose, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 29.—So esp. freq.,
1. Operam dare, to bestow care or pains on, to give attention to any thing.—Constr. with dat., with ut or ne ( = studere).
(a). With dat.: dant operam simul auspicio augurioque, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 81 Vahl.): dare operam funeri, to attend, Cic. Att. 15, 1, 1: bellis, Sive foro, Ov. R. Am. 165: amori, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 58: liberis (to the begetting of children), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: memoriae alicujus, to attend to what brings a person to mind, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 1: tonsori, to get shaved, Suet. Aug. 79: alicui, to attend to one, listen to him, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 52: sermoni, Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 4: amico, to serve, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 17: me huic dedisse operam malam, that I have done him an ill turn, id. Capt. 3, 5, 43.—For dat. the acc. with ad occurs: benigne operam detis ad nostrum gregem, Plaut. Cas. prol. 21.—
(b). With ut and subj.: da operam, ut valeas, Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 5: omnem operam do, ut cognoscam, Sen. Contr. 4, 24, 15; id. Vit. Beat. 3, 2.—
(g). With ne: dent operam consules, ne quid respublica detrimenti capiat, Caes. B. C. 1, 5: ego omnem operam dabo, ne pervenire ad me erubescat, Sen. Polyb. 13, 3: studiose te operam dare, ut ne quid meorum tibi esset ignotum, Cic. Fam. 13, 11, 1.—
(d). With subj. alone: dabo operam, quoad exercitus huc summittatis, etc., Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 6.—(ε) With inf.: id scire, Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 38.—
2. In abl.: operā meā, tuā, etc., through my (thy, etc.) means, agency, fault: fateor Abiisse eum abs te, meā operā atque astutiā, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 21: quid mihi nisi malum vostra opera'st? id. Ps. 1, 2, 50: non meā operā, neque pol culpā evenit, Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 31: meā operā, Q. Fabi, Tarentum recepisti, Cic. Sen. 4, 11.—
3. Unā or eādem operā, in the same manner, at the same time (ante-class.): unā operā mihi sunt sodales, quā iste, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 31: eādem operā a praetore sumam syngrapham, id. ib. 2, 3, 89.—
4. Operā, by experience (ante-class.): nam te omnes saevom commemorant ... ego contra operā expertus, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 7: id operā expertus sum esse ita, id. Bacch. 3, 2, 3: magis non factum possum velle quam operā experiar persequi, id. Capt. 2, 3, 65.—
5. Operae pretium, v. pretium, II. B.—
B. Leisure, spare time for any thing (class., but in the phrase operae est, only ante-class. and Livian): operae ubi mihi erit, ad te venero, as soon as I can spare the time, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 30: si operae illi esset, if he had time, Liv. 5, 15; 4, 8; 44, 36: dicam, si tibi videam esse operam, aut otium, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 15: operae non est, id. ib. 5, 2, 77: quos tu operam gravare mihi, id. Rud. 2, 4, 21: de versibus, quos tibi a me scribi vis, deest mihi quidem opera, I have not time or leisure, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 4.—
C. In concr.
1. A day's work or labor (usu. in plur.): quaternis operis singula jugera confodere, Varr. R. R. 1, 18: puerilis una opera, Col. 11, 2, 44: bubulcorum operae quatuor, id. 2, 13: operae (filiorum) locari possunt, Paul. Sent. 5, 1, 1.—
2. A day-laborer, journeyman; also, in gen., a laborer, workman (usu. in plur.): ipse dominus dives operis et laboris expers, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 16: plures operas conducere, Col. 3, 21: nona, a ninth laborer (on his farm), Hor. S. 2, 7, 118; Suet. Oct. 3.—Hence, transf., in a bad sense: operae, hired aiders, abettors, tools, etc. (of political or theatrical parties): mercenariae (corresp. to multitudo conducta), Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 22; cf.: erat mihi contentio cum operis conductis et ad diripiendam urbem concitatis, id. Sest. 17, 38: Claudianae, id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2; cf. id. Att. 4, 3, 3: theatrales, parties for the purpose of applauding, theatrical factions, Tac. A. 1, 16: VETERES A SCENA, Inscr. Grut. 467, 7.—
3. That which is wrought or produced, a work: operae aranearum, i. e. spiders' webs, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 19: exstabit opera peregrinationis hujus, Cic. Att. 15, 13, 6.

Origins

From opus, operis n (“work”), via reinterpretation of its nominative plural form as a feminine singular noun.

Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseobrafrom Old Galician-Portuguese obra
  • Spanishhuebrafrom Old Spanish huebra
  • Spanishobrafrom Old Spanish huebra
  • Galicianobrafrom Old Galician-Portuguese obra
  • Ladinoovrafrom Old Spanish huebra
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianòbera
  • Sardinianòpera
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanobra
  • Occitanòbra
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianopera
  • Sicilianòpira
  • Venetanovra
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianopare
  • Ladinopera
  • Romanshovra
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianôvra
  • Old Lombardovra
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Franco-Provençalôvra
  • Old Frenchuevre
Borrowings
  • Albanianvepër
  • Irishobairfrom Old Irish opar
  • Manxobbyrfrom Old Irish opar
  • Scottish Gaelicobairfrom Old Irish opar

Quick answers

What does opera mean in Latin?
opera, a noun, means “work, pains, exertion, effort, labour; service, rendering of a service; one's fault, agency, doing”.
What is the genitive of opera?
The genitive singular is operae. opera is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce opera?
In classical Latin, [ˈɔ.pɛ.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɔː.pe.ra].