theme

[ theem ]

/ θim /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR theme ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic: The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.

a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.

a short, informal essay, especially a school composition.

Music.

a principal melodic subject in a musical composition.
a short melodic subject from which variations are developed.

Grammar. the element common to all or most of the forms of an inflectional paradigm, often consisting of a root with certain formative elements or modifications.Compare stem¹(def 16).

Linguistics. topic(def 4).

Also thema. an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.

adjective

having a unifying theme: a theme restaurant decorated like a spaceship.

verb (used with object), themed, them·ing.

to provide with a theme.

Nearby words

them's fighting words, thema, thematic, thematic apperception test, thematization, theme, theme park, theme song, themed, themis, themistocles

Origin of theme

1250–1300; Middle English teme, theme (< Old French teme) < Medieval Latin thema, Latin < Greek théma proposition, deposit, akin to tithénai to put, set down

SYNONYMS FOR theme

1 thesis, text. See subject.

3 paper.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR theme ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formstheme·less, adjectivesub·theme, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for theme

In the comics, a theme that recurs again and again is Wonder Woman being tied up, then breaking free.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine|Tom Arnold-Forster|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Warming to his theme, Argiros adds, “All human life passes through here- the good bad and the ugly.”
Inside New York’s Most Powerful Diner|Tom Teodorczuk|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the suggestion of founder Maneesh Goyal, the company went with a Pee-wee Herman theme.
The Childish Genius of Pee-wee’s Playhouse|Keith Phipps|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yeah, I mean, the theme of this episode is an interesting one.
Andrew Lincoln Wants Rick to End With Johnny Cash and the Sunset|Melissa Leon|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The issue explored the theme of vulnerability, “relevant to anyone who seeks understanding, change, love, and belonging.”
The Winning Gay Subtlety of ‘Hello Mr.’|Justin Jones|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The orchestra played his theme and an army announcer introduced him as the Number One ventriloquist in the world.
The Second Voice|Mann Rubin
The theme was not dissimilar to that which has been here presented in outline.
Notable Events of the Nineteenth Century|Various
His two 'Strawberries,' as he christened them, were henceforth the theme of every letter.
The Wits and Beaux of Society|Grace & Philip Wharton
She could not quit the theme: doing that would have been to be indifferent: something urged her to it.
The Celt and Saxon, Complete|George Meredith
But the theme by amplification became nauseous, and he at length with some roughness put an end to the tale.
Caleb Williams|William Godwin

British Dictionary definitions for theme

theme

/ (θiːm) /

noun

an idea or topic expanded in a discourse, discussion, etc

(in literature, music, art, etc) a unifying idea, image, or motif, repeated or developed throughout a work

music a group of notes forming a recognizable melodic unit, often used as the basis of the musical material in a composition

a short essay, esp one set as an exercise for a student

linguistics the first major constituent of a sentence, usually but not necessarily the subject. In the sentence history I do like, "history" is the theme of the sentence, even though it is the object of the verb

grammar another word for root 1 (def. 9), stem 1 (def. 9)

(in the Byzantine Empire) a territorial unit consisting of several provinces under a military commander

(modifier) planned or designed round one unifying subject, image, etca theme holiday

verb

(tr) to design, decorate, arrange, etc, in accordance with a theme

Derived Formsthemeless, adjective

Word Origin for theme

C13: from Latin thema, from Greek: deposit, from tithenai to lay down

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

Culture definitions for theme

theme

A central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art: “The theme of desperation is found throughout his novels.” Also a short composition assigned to a student as a writing exercise.

theme

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), themed, them·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of theme

Examples from the Web for theme

British Dictionary definitions for theme

theme

noun

verb

Word Origin for theme

Culture definitions for theme

theme