theme song
Americannoun
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a melody in an operetta or musical comedy so emphasized by repetition as to dominate the presentation.
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a melody identifying or identified with a radio or television program, dance band, etc., usually played at the beginning of each program.
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an expression, comment, or subject of conversation that a person or group uses habitually.
noun
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a melody used, esp in a film score, to set a mood, introduce a character, etc
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another term for signature tune
Etymology
Origin of theme song
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The show’s theme song, which has been updated for the new series, remains popular on TikTok among teens who first watched the show as preschoolers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Lana Del Rey will voice the theme song of the new James Bond video game 007 First Light.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
The boy said he was trying to think of happy things, at one point singing the "Thomas the Tank Engine" theme song to keep himself going.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
A typical night can seamlessly bounce from CupcakKe to Robyn, Chappell Roan to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga’s aughts banger “Telephone,” and also “Rivalry,” the show’s theme song by Peter Peter.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2026
They were alone except for Coach Hedge, who was back on the quarterdeck singing the Pokémon theme song.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
