theme
Americannoun
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themes
plural
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a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic.
The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.
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a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.
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a short, informal essay, especially a school composition.
- Synonyms:
- paper
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Music.
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a principal melodic subject in a musical composition.
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a short melodic subject from which variations are developed.
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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.
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Linguistics. topic.
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Also an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
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an idea or topic expanded in a discourse, discussion, etc
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(in literature, music, art, etc) a unifying idea, image, or motif, repeated or developed throughout a work
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music a group of notes forming a recognizable melodic unit, often used as the basis of the musical material in a composition
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a short essay, esp one set as an exercise for a student
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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
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(in the Byzantine Empire) a territorial unit consisting of several provinces under a military commander
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(modifier) planned or designed round one unifying subject, image, etc
a theme holiday
verb
Synonym Usage
See subject.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing theme
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Vocabulary of the Common Core
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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.
See Examples For:
This was a theme that cut through more than might have been expected in Bangkok this week and even seemed to provide a little entertainment.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Historical uncertainty is an intriguing theme, but less so when it’s achieved through vagueness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Corona Cero, the alcohol-free version of Corona sold by Anheuser-Busch InBev, is expanding an international seven-pack to promote the theme of a beer for every day of the week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
He served as a composer across TV and film but is best known for his contributions to “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” including the original cut of its high-energy theme song.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
I hardly heard her; that theme song synced up with my pounding heartbeat.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
At the IMF meetings in Bangkok this week these themes came up again and again, including among those at the very top table.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The true-crime docuseries streams on Netflix and is co-produced by ITV America; in addition to the new themes, the franchise will also bring back “Worst Neighbor Ever” for a second season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
As score composers, they are responsible for the in-game sound and musical themes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Sales of new-energy vehicles, which comprise electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, as well as exports have become the major themes in China’s auto market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Nonetheless, visitors to Andean history note certain ways of doing things that recur in ways striking to the outsider, sometimes in one variant, sometimes in another, like the themes in a jazz improvisation.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Her instantly recognizable flower paintings, desert landscapes, bleached bones and abstractions have won her dozens of museum retrospectives or themed solo exhibitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Jeff Bezos appears to now be wearing all the Amazon returns from every single sorority’s themed rush parties from across the nation.
From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Dune: The Experience” is also built for attendees to linger, as it will feature an area with themed food and cocktails.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Despite the "red flags", Ella decided to give Darryl Smith the benefit of the doubt and agreed to shadow a Harry Potter themed tour on 13 July.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
High ceilings, a grand winding staircase descending into the foyer, hand-carved everything, each room themed and with a distinct character.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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
It’s counting on the uniqueness of the ride vehicle and its speed more than it is theming or even coaster design.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2023
Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based chain of big-box craft stores, is famous for its Christian theming.
From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2023
One UI 5 builds off of Android 13’s theming options by offering up to 16 preset color themes based on your wallpaper and 12 additional color options for your home screen, icons, and quick panels.
From The Verge ● Aug. 7, 2022
The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were nighttime and theming.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2022
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