theme

American  

[theem] / θim /

noun

• themes
  plural

1. a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic.

   The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.

   Synonyms:

   text, thesis

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

3. a short, informal essay, especially a school composition.

   Synonyms:

   paper

4. Music.

   1. a principal melodic subject in a musical composition.

   2. a short melodic subject from which variations are developed.

5. 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.

6. Linguistics. topic.

7. Also an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.

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adjective

1. having a unifying theme.

   a theme restaurant decorated like a spaceship.

verb (used with object)

themed, theming

1. to provide with a theme.

theme British  

/ θiːm /

noun

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

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

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

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

5. 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

6. grammar another word for root 1 stem 1

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

8. (modifier) planned or designed round one unifying subject, image, etc

   a theme holiday

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verb

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

theme Cultural  

1. 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.

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Synonym Usage

See subject.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subtheme
  noun
• themeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• themes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of theme

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English teme, theme (from Old French teme ), from Medieval Latin thema, Latin, from Greek théma “proposition, deposit,” akin to tithénai “to put, set down”

Explanation

A theme can be an underlying topic of a discussion or a recurring idea in an artistic work. Anxiety about getting married is a big theme in romantic comedies. From ancient Greek thema (via Latin and French) we get this word, whose many related uses all have to do with the idea of "the main subject of something." In music, it can be a recurring melody in a composition, or an entire song throughout a play or film (a theme song). It can also describe the decor of a setting: "The amusement park had a Wild West theme."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theme themes themed theming

She kept the jukebox on the movie’s Academy Award-nominated theme song, “Calling You,” recorded by R&B singer Jevetta Steele and covered by Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, George Michael and others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

The 81st High-Level Week brings together nearly 130 leaders under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.”

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

By contrast, Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said the company pivoted to focus on drawing more U.S. visitors to American theme parks by lowering prices and creating more deals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

That was the theme in the somber locker room.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

A longer section of melody that keeps reappearing in the music — for example, in a "theme and variations" — is often called a theme.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

For Edgar-Jones, the themes in Austen's books are just as revelant today.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

So-called bond king Jeffrey Gundlach is sounding alarm bells over the artificial-intelligence trade, saying he “wants out of the epicenter” of the hottest investment themes in decades.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

But the young men prove the soft-spoken themes about the pressure to act tough.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Those that can’t pivot to more popular merchandising themes are shutting down.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

In reviewing these titles, I can’t help but notice a few common themes.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Sonny Angels are three-inch plastic dolls that are generally naked, except for themed headgear and costumes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

While not as fun as the similarly themed “Gangs of London” or Guy Ritchie’s other current show, “The Gentlemen,” it’s a solid watch.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

In May, the group sang songs and performed anti-AI themed street theater outside of the Oakland federal courthouse during the high-profile Musk-Altman trial.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Among the parents backing the move is Kelly Wall, who feels the school's late openings so far - combined with red, white and blue themed non-uniform days - have benefitted her two young children.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

I go to a Chinese- themed bar covered in graffiti.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

After getting business interest approval - which lets an employee pursue other lines of work outside their job - she began "creating and theming party tents".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2024

Expect modern furnishings with a slight retro feel, and while the rooms are adorned with Disney art and understated references to the Walt Disney Co., the theming is on the restrained side.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based chain of big-box craft stores, is famous for its Christian theming.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2023

The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were nighttime and theming.

From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2022

So far, the dynamic color theming has been available mostly on Pixels, though Samsung and Xiaomi have recently introduced theming options as well.

From The Verge ● Feb. 10, 2022

Related Words

• argument
• line
• matter
• motif
• point
• problem
• question
• stuff
• subject
• text
• thought
• topic