leitmotif
or leit·mo·tiv
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.
Origin of leitmotif
1Words Nearby leitmotif
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use leitmotif in a sentence
The leitmotif of Ukrainian poetry is resilience in the face of oppression.
That calm patience is a leitmotif that has defined the journey of a woman who has arguably become the most important politician of the 21st century.
A leitmotif on journalism threads through this often-byzantine narrative.
How the ‘Witch Hunt’ Myth Undermined American Justice | Jason Berry | July 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe complexities within that religious order, renowned for its scholars and loyalty to the pope, make for a numbing leitmotif.
How the Catholic Church Got in Bed with Mussolini | Jason Berry | February 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe leitmotif of the new vogue in bad parenting is that keeping the marital buzz buzzing trumps the children.
In her direct and genuine nature there is a 'leitmotif' of pure sweet melody that will enrich the life of its discoverer.
Bee and Butterfly | Lucy Foster MadisonAnd the "Wacht am Rhein" seemed to come and go at intervals, like a leitmotif to all their doings.
A Woman's Experience in the Great War | Louise MackLike a leitmotif in a musical composition, this love of Dulwich College recurs again and again in his war letters.
War Letters of a Public-School Boy | Paul Jones.Here is the leitmotif of the whole fascinating drama of infection and immunity.
Preventable Diseases | Woods HutchinsonHe will come back, murmured Chavvy, in concordance with her leitmotif.
Twos and Threes | G. B. Stern
British Dictionary definitions for leitmotif
leitmotiv
/ (ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf) /
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
Origin of leitmotif
1Collins 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
[ (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
Notes for leitmotif
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.
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