theme song
Americannoun
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a melody in an operetta or musical comedy so emphasized by repetition as to dominate the presentation.
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a melody identifying or identified with a radio or television program, dance band, etc., usually played at the beginning of each program.
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an expression, comment, or subject of conversation that a person or group uses habitually.
noun
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a melody used, esp in a film score, to set a mood, introduce a character, etc
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another term for signature tune
Etymology
Origin of theme song
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the same tournament, Pavarotti's 1972 recording was used as the theme song for the BBC's coverage.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
The boy said he was trying to think of happy things, at one point singing the "Thomas the Tank Engine" theme song.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
A typical night can seamlessly bounce from CupcakKe to Robyn, Chappell Roan to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga’s aughts banger “Telephone,” and also “Rivalry,” the show’s theme song by Peter Peter.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2026
The plot and the stirring theme song remind me why I’ve always loved living and working in New York, and how the energy of the big city is my engine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026
Our seats were three rows from the front, and I scanned the audience, only noticing a few familiar faces, the Queen of Neat theme song playing quietly in the background.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
