ouvrage

/u.vʁaʒ/
nounIntermediate
formal

A work, construction, or structure, especially one of significant size or importance.

L'ouvrage a été achevé en un temps record.

The construction was completed in record time.

💡

Often used in engineering and architecture contexts.

formal

A book, especially a scholarly or technical one.

Il a écrit un ouvrage sur l'histoire médiévale.

He wrote a book on medieval history.

💡

Less common in modern usage but still found in literary contexts.

Collocations

grand ouvragegreat workouvrage d'artartistic workouvrage de référencereference work

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

ouvrage de fortificationphrase
fortification work
ouvrage de référencephrase
reference work

💡Pro Tip

Context Matters

The meaning of 'ouvrage' depends heavily on the context. In engineering, it refers to a construction, while in literature, it refers to a book.

Gold Rule

Avoid Confusion

Do not confuse 'ouvrage' with 'ouvrier' (worker) or 'ouvrir' (to open).

📖Word Origin

From Old French 'ovrage', from Latin 'opera', meaning 'work' or 'labor'.

📝Usage Notes

The term 'ouvrage' can refer to both physical constructions and written works, depending on context. In modern French, it is more commonly used for buildings or engineering projects.

Word Breakdown

ouvr
work
root
+
-age
action or result
suffix
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais