motif

[ moh-teef ]

/ moʊˈtif /

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See synonyms for: motif / motifs on Thesaurus.com

noun

a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.

a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc., in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper.

a dominant idea or feature: Pulmonary problems were a grim motif in his life.

Biochemistry. a distinct pattern of amino acids in a function-specific protein sequence: No polyproline motif has been observed in these yeast proteins.

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Origin of motif

First recorded in 1840–50; from French; see origin at motive

Words nearby motif

moth mullein, moth orchid, mothproof, mothy, Mo Ti, motif, motile, motility, motion, motion capture, motionless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use motif in a sentence

Dorothy Draper, the mother of American interior design, was a master at mixing patterns, with her liberal use of motifs and colors.
How to incorporate 7 popular patterns in your home, according to experts|Marissa Hermanson|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
Floral motifs were the most popular, with herbs and vegetables forming intricate blooms.
These 10 food trends were the distractions we needed in 2020|Emily Heil|December 24, 2020|Washington Post
Naturally, this development is impacting advertising and one upshot is that brands are paying greater attention to the suites of sounds, voices and motifs that define how consumers “hear” the brand.
Deep Dive: How the coronavirus crisis accelerated the already cresting CTV sea change|Jessica Rapp|December 21, 2020|Digiday
The Upstate New Yorker’s prominent motifs include crystal-like patterns and sprays of rounded, tapered shapes that resemble both leaves and water drops.
In the galleries: Up to his elbows in watery works and lustrous prints|Mark Jenkins|December 18, 2020|Washington Post

Wednesday’s event took place in front of a Richmond elementary school that McAuliffe used as a motif to discuss his plans to boost the state’s education system and address inequities in schools.
Terry McAuliffe running for Va. governor for second time|Parker Purifoy|December 9, 2020|Washington Blade
The steady, entrancing rhythms are a well-established motif in dramatizations of the American war in Vietnam.
A Different Kind of Vietnam Story|J.T. Price|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After several weeks of shock and mourning, Hartley began a series of paintings known as the War Motif paintings.
A Gay American Artist in Kaiser’s Berlin|Sarah Bay Williams|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My understanding is that this artwork came first and was soon replaced with the “Sambo as a baby genie” motif.
Pancakes and Pickaninnies: The Saga of ‘Sambo’s,’ The ‘Racist’ Restaurant Chain America Once Loved|Andrew Romano|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This motif has been a classic of anti-modernism for two centuries in Europe.
Sorry, Naysayers, But America Isn’t Over Yet|James Kirchick|November 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Soth relates the garages to a repeating cube motif in the series.
Photographer Alec Soth Shows a Different Side of Silicon Valley|Ann Binlot|November 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We must have motif first, then technique to adapt and adjust expression and to develop facility in the active agents.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
With this (class c) form of the story we frequently find combined what is known as The False Claimant ‘motif.’
The Three Days' Tournament|Jessie L. Weston
The bird motif occurs in the decoration of metallic objects in the British Islands during the early centuries in this era.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
It is not repoussé, but is cut in openwork of intricate pattern in which the Swastika is the principal motif.
The Swastika|Thomas Wilson
It seemed illogical, and evaded him, like a melody with a dimly familiar motif which he was unable to place or even fully recall.
The Lieutenant-Governor|Guy Wetmore Carryl

British Dictionary definitions for motif

motif

/ (məʊˈtiːf) /

noun

a distinctive idea, esp a theme elaborated on in a piece of music, literature, etc

Also: motive a recurring form or shape in a design or pattern

a single added piece of decoration, such as a symbol or name on a jumper, sweatshirt, etc

Word Origin for motif

C19: from French. See motive

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 motif

motif

[ (moh-teef) ]

In literature, art, or music, a recurring set of words, shapes, colors, or notes. In the poem “The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe, for example, the word nevermore is a motif appearing at the end of each stanza. Likewise, the first four notes of the Fifth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven are a motif that is developed and reshaped throughout the work.

motif

Origin of motif

Words nearby motif

Words related to motif

How to use motif in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motif

Word Origin for motif

Cultural definitions for motif