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
While jumping rope in my garage, a multidecade effort to lose my freshman 15, I blasted “Eye of the Tiger,” rock band Survivor’s unforgettable theme song from the 1982 film “Rocky III.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
At the same tournament, Pavarotti's 1972 recording was used as the theme song for the BBC's coverage.
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
We had the voices perfected and the theme song choreographed, and we used to do these performances on the ledge in front of the fireplace.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
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.
