theme

American  

[theem] / θim /

noun

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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Related Words

See subject.

Other Word Forms

• subtheme noun
• themeless adjective

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”

Example Sentences

Fundamentals remain broadly intact for Asian tech-hardware companies leveraged to the AI capex theme, as well as select stocks in South Korea, China and India.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

A theme especially potent on Trans Day of Visibility, a holiday organizers wanted the Joy Who Lived to coincide with.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Some investors are worried that someone with a background in theme parks and cruise lines might struggle to lead the businesses media segment into the future.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

It's a theme she returns to across the record.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Many longer works of music, such as symphony movements, have more than one melodic theme.

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

Related Words

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