motif

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This motif has been adopted by a variety of Christian leaders in the Western world.

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Definitions (13)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun A recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work.
  2. noun A dominant theme or central idea.
  3. noun Music A short rhythmic or melodic passage that is repeated or evoked in various parts of a composition.
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Examples (50)

  • In the Michaelmas Term, other drawings of a similar kind appear, together with the motif of the hanging of some academical character—a motif which is repeated in the incident of the dummy found later on suspended in the Chapel. —  Gaudy Night Dorothy L Sayers -3rd Lord Peter WImsey/Harriet Vane book
  • I forgive Sophie on account of the motif, which is you, and for all she and Valentine have done for your fete. —  Women in the Life of Balzac
  • And the motif is there from Burton's earliest work. —  F ;SF; - vol 086 issue 05 - May 1994
  • As I worked on the book that thought emerged as a motif, and making it Cap Crater's battle cry brought it home. —  Comic Book Resources
  • This motif has been adopted by a variety of Christian leaders in the Western world. —  Israelated - English Israel blogs
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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

myth ·  metaphor ·  theme ·  painting ·  marking ·  allusion ·  imagery ·  preoccupation ·  symbol

Used in the same contextWord Family

motif:   motifs
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (1)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French, from Old French, motive; see motive.
 

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/ moʊˈtif/
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