thematic

American  

[thee-mat-ik] / θiˈmæt ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to a theme.

2. Grammar.

   1. (of a word or words) of, relating to, or producing a theme or themes.

   2. (of a vowel) pertaining to the theme or stem: the thematic vowel ends the stem and precedes the inflectional ending of a word form, as i in Latin audiō “I hear.”

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thematic British  

/ θɪˈmætɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of a theme or themes

2. linguistics denoting a word that is the theme of a sentence

3. grammar

   1. denoting a vowel or other sound or sequence of sounds that occurs between the root of a word and any inflectional or derivational suffixes

   2. of or relating to the stem or root of a word

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noun

1. grammar a thematic vowel

   ``-o-'' is a thematic in the combining form ``psycho-''

Other Word Forms

• nonthematic
  adjective
• nonthematically
  adverb
• thematically
  adverb
• unthematic
  adjective
• unthematically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of thematic

1690–1700; < Greek thematikós, equivalent to themat- (stem of théma theme ) + -ikos -ic

Explanation

When you visit a museum and the cat paintings are grouped together in one room, and the fruit paintings in another, you could conclude that the curator favors a thematic arrangement, meaning grouped by topic, rather than chronologically or by artist. Thematic relationships are everywhere. You could apply a thematic arrangement to your closet, putting the 1970s disco-wear in one section and your motorcycle gear in another. When you're studying the works of Charles Dickens, finding the thematic similarities across all the novels helps you remember them more easily. That song your garage band has been working on has a thematic development, too, starting with a line of melody, changing it a little, taking it in a different direction, then returning to the theme.

Example Sentences

Thematic ideologies conflict as often as the animals do.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

Thematic ETFs are designed to capture emerging trends, but many launch only after a theme already has gained significant traction.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025

The Roundhill Magnificent Seven exchange-traded fund, for example, is valued at 32 times earnings forecasts for next year while the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic ETF trades at a P/E of 34.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

Together with colleagues at the Department of Thematic Studies -- Environmental Change, Alexander Olsson has interviewed thirteen politicians and officials in Stockholm to hear their reasoning about the opportunities and risks.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

This style I have elsewhere called the "Thematic," as distinguished from the "Lyric," in which a flowing melody is a distinctive trait.

From A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present by Mathews, W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock)