Opus Dei
“The work of God.”
Church Latin; Rule of Saint Benedict
What does “Opus Dei” mean?
Opus Dei translates as “The work of God.”
In monastic life the phrase names the daily prayer of the Divine Office, the hours of psalms and readings sung throughout the day. More broadly it suggests that any task done faithfully can be offered as God’s work.
“Opus Dei” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Opus | work, task | nominative singular neuter of opus, operis (n.), “work”; the subject or predicate of the phrase |
| Dei | of God | genitive singular (possessive case) of Deus, “God”; marks whose work it is |
How to pronounce “Opus Dei”
Both pronunciations sound the same here. Stress the first syllable of Opus and the first syllable of Dei, which is a two-syllable word (DEH-ee).
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “work of God”: opus, “work”, plus Dei, “of God”. In Latin the genitive can mean the work that belongs to God or the work done for God, and monastic writers used it in that wider sense.
In the Rule of Saint Benedict, written for monks in the sixth century, opus Dei is the name for the communal prayer of the monastery, the daily round of psalms and readings. The Rule says that nothing is to be put before it.
The phrase is also the name of a Catholic institution founded in 1928, and many people now meet it only through that name. The older monastic meaning is the prayer of the Divine Office, and the broader idea that ordinary work can be offered to God grew out of it.
How to use “Opus Dei”
Fits a chapel inscription, an essay on monastic life or the Benedictine tradition, or a gift for someone who treats their job as a calling. Because the phrase is also the name of a specific organisation, consider how readers will take it before using it as a tattoo or motto.
- Latin
- Opus Dei
- English
- The work of God.
- Source
- Church Latin; Rule of Saint Benedict
- Era
- Church Latin
- Theme
- Faith
Common mistakes
- Today the phrase is often assumed to refer only to the Catholic institution founded in 1928. In its older monastic sense it means the Divine Office, the prayer of the hours.
- Opus Dei is not a translation of “God’s work” in the sense of a charity project. In the Rule it means liturgical prayer first.
- The Latin is two words in this order. Writing it as “Dei Opus” is possible Latin but is not the traditional phrase.
- Dei is the genitive of Deus. Do not confuse it with dei, the nominative plural “gods”, which is spelled the same.
Questions about “Opus Dei”
What does “Opus Dei” mean literally?
“Work of God.” Opus is “work” and Dei is the genitive of Deus, “God”, so it means the work that belongs to God or is done for him.
Where does “Opus Dei” come from?
The phrase is used in the Rule of Saint Benedict, a monastic rule from the sixth century, for the communal prayer of the monks. It is Church Latin.
Is “Opus Dei” only the name of a Catholic organisation?
No. It long predates the institution founded in 1928. The organisation took its name from the older phrase, which meant the daily prayer of the Divine Office.
How do you pronounce “Opus Dei”?
Classical and Church pronunciation are the same here: OH-poos DEH-ee. Stress the first syllable of each word.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
Related Latin quotes
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.
