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
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:
This has been a bit of a theme for longer than this year.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
A nearby gallery, hung salon-style, considers the theme of “Nature and Nation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Beyond shifting from a multi-cam comedy to single-cam and Brandy’s changed-up theme song, this “Different World” succeeds by maintaining a wonderfully familiar energy… like coming back home.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
“CBS This Morning” was renamed “CBS Mornings” in 2021, and adapted the theme music of the network’s popular weekend program “CBS Sunday Morning.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Then we form groups to discuss the theme.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Those that can’t pivot to more popular merchandising themes are shutting down.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Mr. Boyagoda is only partially successful at teasing out these themes and connecting the dots of a very complicated plot with a large cast of characters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
A hefty pair of bestselling fantasy novels, 2019’s “Black Leopard, Red Wolf” and 2022’s “Moon Witch, Spider King,” reframed sword-and-sorcery themes around African folklore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Given that grunt-work and dues-paying are such common themes across Millennial TV, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that many of the era’s most beloved shows grapple with a lack of fulfillment from work and love.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
For example, characters and themes are given a short musical pattern, and every time that character or theme appears, the musical pattern is performed.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
While not as fun as the similarly themed “Gangs of London” or Guy Ritchie’s other current show, “The Gentlemen,” it’s a solid watch.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
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
Among the parents backing the move is Kelly Wall, who feels the school's late openings so far - combined with red, white and blue themed non-uniform days - have benefitted her two young children.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Local historical societies scheduled town square readings of the Declaration of Independence, hired bands to play patriotic tunes, organized parades and set up themed baking contests.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 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
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
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
An actual rainbow arched over the park’s thunder-shower-soaked parking lot as the sun set, prompting several attendees to joke that Disney had outdone itself with Pride theming this year.
From New York Times ● Jun. 10, 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.
