theme

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
  2. noun a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work
  3. noun (music) melodic subject of a musical composition

Etymology

From Middle English teme, from Old French teme, tesme (French thème), from Latin thema, from Ancient Greek θέμα (théma), from τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”), reduplicative from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do”) (whence also English do). Doublet of thema.

In classic literature

Synonyms

subject, topic

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