theme
Americannoun
-
a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic.
The need for world peace was the theme of the meeting.
-
a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.
-
a short, informal essay, especially a school composition.
- Synonyms:
- paper
-
Music.
-
a principal melodic subject in a musical composition.
-
a short melodic subject from which variations are developed.
-
-
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.
-
Linguistics. topic.
-
Also an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
-
an idea or topic expanded in a discourse, discussion, etc
-
(in literature, music, art, etc) a unifying idea, image, or motif, repeated or developed throughout a work
-
music a group of notes forming a recognizable melodic unit, often used as the basis of the musical material in a composition
-
a short essay, esp one set as an exercise for a student
-
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
-
(in the Byzantine Empire) a territorial unit consisting of several provinces under a military commander
-
(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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary of the Common Core
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
UBS says its top theme right now is that leadership for artificial-intelligence stocks is returning, and earnings season may prove how investors have been too pessimistic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The Philadelphia Fed’s data appear to fit the theme of U.S. consumers splitting between those who are thriving and those are struggling, Zwemmer said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
The show’s theme song, which comes from Emmy and Grammy-winning composer Danny Elfman, who created iconic theme songs for “The Simpsons” and “Wednesday,” was given free rein.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The overarching theme here is a court that just doesn’t care.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
The theme may be “No Place for Hate,” but if there was anybody in our school who didn’t recognize the symbol on our atrium before, they sure as anything recognize it now.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Even the non-thriller themes — female friendship, aging, ageism, admitting the truth about oneself to oneself and one’s dearest, the invigorating effects of danger — are explicitly expressed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
He believes the most important themes during this earnings season will be how margins expand or contract with so much competition, along with balance-sheet growth.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
President Trump has sounded similar themes during his presidential campaigns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
At Tottenham, BTS brought the album's themes to life.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
In reviewing these titles, I can’t help but notice a few common themes.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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
The prize: A red Coca-Cola themed scarf or baseball cap.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
These might include karaoke nights, themed bingo happy hours, and raves, often thrown with well-respected collectives.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
He said the couple had already got to know those involved in Gavin and Stacey themed tours around Barry - including Dave's Coaches.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Now they were stuck in her head, like a catchy tune from a nautically themed operetta that one cannot help singing in the shower, despite having a strong dislike for the show itself.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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
"We have moved away from original plans in terms of the décor in the venue and are theming it more on classic movie horror characters," he told BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour programme.
From BBC ● Jul. 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
Image: Google Material You theming options are also coming to third-party app icons, which appeared in Android 13’s first developer preview in February.
From The Verge ● May 11, 2022
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.
