theme

American  

[theem] / θim /

noun

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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Related Words

See subject.

Other Word Forms

• subtheme noun
• themeless adjective

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”

Example Sentences

With “Cars” merchandise, the “Ratatouille” theme park ride and multiple “Toy Story” sequels, Pixar created brands that printed money across the Disney empire.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Affordability was already the EV theme of 2026, so recent events only amplify that,” Andrew Garberson, head of growth and research at Recurrent, which tracks EV data, told MarketWatch over email.

From MarketWatch

The pitch for the theme park was to show the Golden State as a romanticized destination, celebrating our people, our nature, our food and our glamour through a lighthearted, optimistic lens.

From Los Angeles Times

Where her material invites humility and questions, Ms. Popova undercuts her own themes with answers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since, financial dealings with the Gulf have only grown, such as a planned Disneyland theme park in Abu Dhabi and the donation of a jumbo jet from Qatar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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