opus operantis
Preserved but no longer current.
Ex opere operate is a phrase used by theologians to express the efficiency of acts irrespective of the intention of the agent or patient. Ex opere operantis implies the con- currence of intention on the part of the agent; it is the personal piety of the person who does the act, and not the act itself, that causes it to be an instrument of grace. Thus in the Eucha- rist, it is the faith of the recipient which makes it efficient for grace.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “opus operantis” mean?
Ex opere operate is a phrase used by theologians to express the efficiency of acts irrespective of the intention of the agent or patient. Ex opere operantis implies the con- currence of intention on the part of the agent; it is the personal piety of the person who does the act, and not the act itself, that causes it to be an instrument of grace. Thus in the Eucha- rist, it is the faith of the recipient which makes it efficient for grace.
Is “opus operantis” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.