theme
Americannoun
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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
Related Words
See subject.
Other Word Forms
- subtheme noun
- themeless adjective
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”
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.
"It establishes responsibility, human control, and risk management as the governing themes of AI regulation," the firm said.
From Barron's
Perhaps highlighting how the theme of duality runs deep even within Requiem's team itself, Kawata says how despite this, the team have still brought "something new to the table" with their latest offering.
From BBC
There are always broad themes that investors react to over the short term, and the stock market’s performance should be expected to be lumpy.
From MarketWatch
New York’s White Horse Tavern, established in 1880, and Fraunces Tavern, site of Washington’s 1783 farewell to his troops, have become so popular with tourists, they more closely resemble theme parks than local watering holes.
A central theme around the rapid pace of AI advancements is that it could be a driving force for growth.
From MarketWatch
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.
