theme

American  

[theem] / θim /

noun

• themes
  plural

1. a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic.

   The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.

   Synonyms:

   text, thesis

2. a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.

3. a short, informal essay, especially a school composition.

   Synonyms:

   paper

4. Music.

   1. a principal melodic subject in a musical composition.

   2. a short melodic subject from which variations are developed.

5. Grammar. the element common to all or most of the forms of an inflectional paradigm, often consisting of a root with certain formative elements or modifications.

6. Linguistics. topic.

7. Also an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.

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adjective

1. having a unifying theme.

   a theme restaurant decorated like a spaceship.

verb (used with object)

themed, theming

1. to provide with a theme.

theme British  

/ θiːm /

noun

1. an idea or topic expanded in a discourse, discussion, etc

2. (in literature, music, art, etc) a unifying idea, image, or motif, repeated or developed throughout a work

3. music a group of notes forming a recognizable melodic unit, often used as the basis of the musical material in a composition

4. a short essay, esp one set as an exercise for a student

5. linguistics the first major constituent of a sentence, usually but not necessarily the subject. In the sentence history I do like, "history" is the theme of the sentence, even though it is the object of the verb

6. grammar another word for root 1 stem 1

7. (in the Byzantine Empire) a territorial unit consisting of several provinces under a military commander

8. (modifier) planned or designed round one unifying subject, image, etc

   a theme holiday

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verb

1. (tr) to design, decorate, arrange, etc, in accordance with a theme

theme Cultural  

1. A central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art: “The theme of desperation is found throughout his novels.” Also a short composition assigned to a student as a writing exercise.

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Synonym Usage

See subject.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subtheme
  noun
• themeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• themes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of theme

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English teme, theme (from Old French teme ), from Medieval Latin thema, Latin, from Greek théma “proposition, deposit,” akin to tithénai “to put, set down”

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Explanation

A theme can be an underlying topic of a discussion or a recurring idea in an artistic work. Anxiety about getting married is a big theme in romantic comedies. From ancient Greek thema (via Latin and French) we get this word, whose many related uses all have to do with the idea of "the main subject of something." In music, it can be a recurring melody in a composition, or an entire song throughout a play or film (a theme song). It can also describe the decor of a setting: "The amusement park had a Wild West theme."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theme themes themed theming

This was a theme that cut through more than might have been expected in Bangkok this week and even seemed to provide a little entertainment.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Wondaween last year at the Santa Monica Pier had a “Vampire Beach” theme.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

That duality—of shared and mutual influences despite distinctive differences—forms the exhibit’s core theme.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Around 4:30 p.m. local time, park employees hustled them out of the theme park and told them it was closed, she said, but they didn’t explain why.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Even though Disney World was only a two hours' drive from his apartment, Dad had decided that it might be more fun if we stayed overnight at one of Disney's theme hotels.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

At the IMF meetings in Bangkok this week these themes came up again and again, including among those at the very top table.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The team says their ability to handle each tragedy with care and sensitivity allows them to expand to other subject matters while also exploring existing themes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

As score composers, they are responsible for the in-game sound and musical themes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The first few songs sketch out the record’s themes, in which individual dreams are cheapened in a world that rewards artificiality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

At the press conference I was once again keen to reassert a number of themes: first, that I was a loyal and disciplined member of the ANC.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

It's the start of university - you're already on your fourth themed night out of the week and have signed up for every quirky-sounding society your campus has to offer.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

For heavily themed intergalactic-inspired dishes, you need to drive to Anaheim where vendors at Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge sell Grogu cookies and Bantha milk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

That also led, this week, to an unveiling of what the younger Biden is really selling: a cryptocurrency token, themed around the device that brought him such notoriety.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

While not as fun as the similarly themed “Gangs of London” or Guy Ritchie’s other current show, “The Gentlemen,” it’s a solid watch.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

A faded calendar on the wall from 1985—Back to the Future themed.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Iwerks is more interested in showing us the race against time, especially for a park that deviated from the light theming and simple rides of amusement parks of the era.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

After getting business interest approval - which lets an employee pursue other lines of work outside their job - she began "creating and theming party tents".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2024

Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based chain of big-box craft stores, is famous for its Christian theming.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2023

The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were nighttime and theming.

From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2022

Arment mentions that he’s updated the typography and spacing of the app, but probably the most exciting thing is the addition of a new theming system.

From The Verge ● Mar. 25, 2022

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Related Words

• argument
• line
• matter
• motif
• point
• problem
• question
• stuff
• subject
• text
• thought
• topic

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