leitmotif
or leit·mo·tiv
[ lahyt-moh-teef ]
/ ˈlaɪt moʊˌtif /
Save This Word!
noun
a motif or theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person, situation, or idea.
a unifying or dominant motif; a recurrent theme: A leitmotif in science fiction is the evolving relationship between humans and machines.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of leitmotif
First recorded in 1875–80; from German: “leading motive”
Words nearby leitmotif
leisurely, leisure sickness, leisure suit, leisurewear, Leith, leitmotif, Leitrim, Leix, Leizhou, Leizhou Peninsula, Le Jeune
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences 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
Cultural 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.
notes for leitmotif
Leitmotifs are particularly associated with the operas of Richard Wagner.
notes for leitmotif
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.