theme

[ theem ]

/ θim /

noun

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.

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.Compare stem¹(def 16).

Linguistics. topic(def 4).

Also thema. an administrative division of the Byzantine Empire.

adjective

having a unifying theme: a theme restaurant decorated like a spaceship.

verb (used with object), themed, them·ing.

to provide with a theme.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of theme

1250–1300; Middle English teme, theme (< Old French teme) < Medieval Latin thema, Latin < Greek théma proposition, deposit, akin to tithénai to put, set down

SYNONYMS FOR theme

1 thesis, text. See subject.

3 paper.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR theme ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM theme

theme·less, adjectivesub·theme, noun

Words nearby theme

them's fighting words, thema, thematic, thematic apperception test, thematization, theme, theme park, theme song, themis, themistocles, themself

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for theme

In the comics, a theme that recurs again and again is Wonder Woman being tied up, then breaking free.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine|Tom Arnold-Forster|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Warming to his theme, Argiros adds, “All human life passes through here- the good bad and the ugly.”
Inside New York’s Most Powerful Diner|Tom Teodorczuk|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the suggestion of founder Maneesh Goyal, the company went with a Pee-wee Herman theme.
The Childish Genius of Pee-wee’s Playhouse|Keith Phipps|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yeah, I mean, the theme of this episode is an interesting one.
Andrew Lincoln Wants Rick to End With Johnny Cash and the Sunset|Melissa Leon|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The issue explored the theme of vulnerability, “relevant to anyone who seeks understanding, change, love, and belonging.”
The Winning Gay Subtlety of ‘Hello Mr.’|Justin Jones|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The orchestra played his theme and an army announcer introduced him as the Number One ventriloquist in the world.
The Second Voice|Mann Rubin
The theme was not dissimilar to that which has been here presented in outline.
Notable Events of the Nineteenth Century|Various
His two 'Strawberries,' as he christened them, were henceforth the theme of every letter.
The Wits and Beaux of Society|Grace & Philip Wharton
She could not quit the theme: doing that would have been to be indifferent: something urged her to it.
The Celt and Saxon, Complete|George Meredith
But the theme by amplification became nauseous, and he at length with some roughness put an end to the tale.
Caleb Williams|William Godwin

British Dictionary definitions for theme

theme

/ (θiːm) /

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

grammar another word for root 1 (def. 9), stem 1 (def. 9)

(in the Byzantine Empire) a territorial unit consisting of several provinces under a military commander

(modifier) planned or designed round one unifying subject, image, etca theme holiday

verb

(tr) to design, decorate, arrange, etc, in accordance with a theme

Derived forms of theme

themeless, adjective

Word Origin for theme

C13: from Latin thema, from Greek: deposit, from tithenai to lay down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for theme

theme

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.

theme

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), themed, them·ing.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Origin of theme

SYNONYMS FOR theme

OTHER WORDS FROM theme

Words nearby theme

Words related to theme

Example sentences from the Web for theme

British Dictionary definitions for theme

noun

verb

Derived forms of theme

Word Origin for theme

Cultural definitions for theme