theme

[ theem ]

/ θim /

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See synonyms for: theme / themes on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR theme

1 thesis, text.

3 paper.

See synonyms for theme on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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”

synonym study for theme

1. See subject.

OTHER WORDS FROM theme

themeless, adjectivesubtheme, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use theme in a sentence

So those themes, as you understood, are driven into a better world.
Leveraging collective intelligence and AI to benefit society|Jason Sparapani|November 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Two additional themes made the list of progressing towards a cyborg future.
This Is How We’ll Engineer Artificial Touch|Shelly Fan|November 17, 2020|Singularity Hub
In August, Anheuser-Busch posted a splashy job listing looking to bring on three creatives to make “fire” Bud Lite Seltzer-themed image macros.
Meet the professional memers|Luke Winkie|November 11, 2020|Vox
Hill may prefer to call his entrees “meat and three,” in keeping with the Southern theme, but several of his mains are barbecue in everything but name.
The best barbecue joints in the D.C. area|Tim Carman|November 10, 2020|Washington Post

The county’s holiday colors should really be yellow and red because that’s the theme carried by water quality warnings pockmarking the coast from Oceanside to Imperial Beach via San Diego County’s beach test results site.
Environment Report: Coastal Neighborhoods Supported Measure E Least|MacKenzie Elmer|November 9, 2020|Voice of San Diego

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

OTHER WORDS FOR theme

Origin of theme

synonym study for theme

OTHER WORDS FROM theme

Words related to theme

How to use theme in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for theme

Derived forms of theme

Word Origin for theme

Cultural definitions for theme