leitmotif

American  

[lahyt-moh-teef] / ˈlaɪt moʊˌtif /

Or leitmotiv

noun

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

2. a unifying or dominant motif; a recurrent theme.

   A leitmotif in science fiction is the evolving relationship between humans and machines.

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leitmotif British  

/ ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf /

noun

1. music a recurring short melodic phrase or theme used, esp in Wagnerian music dramas, to suggest a character, thing, etc

2. an often repeated word, phrase, image, or theme in a literary work

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leitmotif Cultural  

1. 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.

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Discover More

Recurring themes or subjects in other forms of art or literature are sometimes also called leitmotifs.

Leitmotifs are particularly associated with the operas of Richard Wagner.

Etymology

Origin of leitmotif

First recorded in 1875–80; from German: “leading motive”

Explanation

If you notice the subject of freedom coming up again and again in a book you're reading for English class, you can impress your teacher by calling it a leitmotif, or a theme that recurs. The noun leitmotif is most useful for talking about music, and it usually comes up in the context of classical music, whenever a particular phrase or tune is repeated. The word comes from the German Leitmotiv, which literally means "lead motif," or "guiding motif." Though leitmotif makes music experts think of Wagner's operas when they hear it, it's been around at least since Mozart's time.

Example Sentences

The Argentine author, whose writing habitually draws on the uncanny, here delivers a blend of superstition, dread and a leitmotif of mental instability in a register of acute psychological realism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Its leitmotif is push and pull: unsettling, bruising, often brutal, yet ultimately life-affirming.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

In the “Barbie” film, “What Was I Made For?” plays a key role — an instrumental version of the song pops up like a leitmotif, soundtracking introspective, existential moments for its protagonist.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2024

A leitmotif in "Strange New Worlds" relates to Pike foreknowledge that a life-changing accident lurks in his future.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2023

The goal of a leitmotif is to help the listener identify a main character or theme in the story.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

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