definitions

leitmotif

[ lahyt-moh-teef ]
/ ˈlaɪt moʊˌtif /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR leitmotif ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a motif or theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person, situation, or idea.

RELATED WORDS

thought, motif, point, text, question, argument, topic, matter, stuff, problem, line, subject, case, affair, head, thesis, business, keynote, motive, proposition

Nearby words

leisure suit, leisured, leisurely, leisurewear, leith, leitmotif, leitrim, leix, leizhou, leizhou peninsula, lejeune

Origin of leitmotif

1875–80; < German: leading motive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for leitmotif

British Dictionary definitions for leitmotif

leitmotif

leitmotiv

/ (ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf) /

noun

music a recurring short melodic phrase or theme used, esp in Wagnerian music dramas, to suggest a character, thing, etc
an often repeated word, phrase, image, or theme in a literary work

Word Origin for leitmotif

C19: from German leitmotiv leading motif
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for leitmotif

leitmotif

n.

1876, "a musical figure to which some definite meaning is attached," from German Leitmotiv, literally "lead motive," from leiten "to lead" (see lead (v.1)) + Motiv (see motive). A term associated with Wagnerian musical drama, though the thing itself is at least as old as Mozart. "The leitmotif must be characteristic of the person or thing it is intended to represent." ["Elson's Music Dictionary"]

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Culture definitions for leitmotif

leitmotif

[ (leyet-moh-teef) ]

A frequently recurring bit of melody, usually in opera, associated with a person, thing, or emotion; Leitmotiv is German for “leading theme.” The leitmotif may be heard in the instrumental or the vocal part.

Note

Leitmotifs are particularly associated with the operas of Richard Wagner.

Note

Recurring themes or subjects in other forms of art or literature are sometimes also called leitmotifs.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.