MOTIF
Dictionary entry overview: What does motif mean?
• MOTIF (noun)
The noun MOTIF has 3 senses:
1. a design that consists of recurring shapes or colors
2. a theme that is elaborated on in a piece of music
3. a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
Familiarity information: MOTIF used as a noun is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• MOTIF (noun)
Meaning:
A design that consists of recurring shapes or colors
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("motif" is a kind of...):
design; figure; pattern (a decorative or artistic work)
Meaning:
A theme that is elaborated on in a piece of music
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
motif; motive
Hypernyms ("motif" is a kind of...):
idea; melodic theme; musical theme; theme ((music) melodic subject of a musical composition)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "motif"):
obbligato; obligato (a persistent but subordinate motif)
Meaning:
A unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Synonyms:
theme; motif
Context example:
it was the usual 'boy gets girl' theme
Hypernyms ("motif" is a kind of...):
idea; thought (the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "motif"):
topos (a traditional theme or motif or literary convention)
