THEME
Dictionary entry overview: What does theme mean?
• THEME (noun)
The noun THEME has 5 senses:
1. the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
2. a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
3. (music) melodic subject of a musical composition
4. an essay (especially one written as an assignment)
5. (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
Familiarity information: THEME used as a noun is common.
• THEME (verb)
The verb THEME has 1 sense:
1. provide with a particular theme or motive
Familiarity information: THEME used as a verb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• THEME (noun)
Meaning:
The subject matter of a conversation or discussion
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
subject; theme; topic
Context examples:
he didn't want to discuss that subject / it was a very sensitive topic / his letters were always on the theme of love
Hypernyms ("theme" is a kind of...):
content; message; subject matter; substance (what a communication that is about something is about)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "theme"):
bone of contention (the subject of a dispute)
precedent (a subject mentioned earlier (preceding in time))
head; question (the subject matter at issue)
keynote (the principal theme in a speech or literary work)
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 ("theme" 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 "theme"):
topos (a traditional theme or motif or literary convention)
Meaning:
(music) melodic subject of a musical composition
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
melodic theme; musical theme; theme; idea
Context examples:
the theme is announced in the first measures / the accompanist picked up the idea and elaborated it
Hypernyms ("theme" is a kind of...):
air; line; melodic line; melodic phrase; melody; strain; tune (a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence)
Domain category:
music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "theme"):
motif; motive (a theme that is elaborated on in a piece of music)
statement ((music) the presentation of a musical theme)
variation (a repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified or embellished)
Meaning:
An essay (especially one written as an assignment)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
paper; theme; report; composition
Context example:
he got an A on his composition
Hypernyms ("theme" is a kind of...):
essay (an analytic or interpretive literary composition)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "theme"):
term paper (a composition intended to indicate a student's progress during a school term)
Meaning:
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
stem; root word; root; theme; radical; base
Context example:
thematic vowels are part of the stem
Hypernyms ("theme" is a kind of...):
descriptor; form; signifier; word form (the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something)
Domain category:
linguistics (the scientific study of language)
• THEME (verb)
Meaning:
Provide with a particular theme or motive
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Context example:
the restaurant often themes its menus
Hypernyms (to "theme" is one way to...):
furnish; provide; render; supply (provide or furnish with)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
