Leitmotif
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A melodic theme associated with a particular character, place, thing or idea in an opera.
"In Wagner's operas, especially his cycle of four operas known collectively as the Ring cycle, the leitmotif did not simply label or point to one particular character or object but rather conjured up a realm of ideas."
- 2 a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas) wordnet
- 3 A recurring theme. broadly
"People have pointed out the influence of Wagner’s music on my work. Certainly I do not disclaim this influence. In particular, I followed Wagner in the use of the leitmotif, which I carried over into the work of language."
Example
More examples"In Wagner's operas, especially his cycle of four operas known collectively as the Ring cycle, the leitmotif did not simply label or point to one particular character or object but rather conjured up a realm of ideas."
Etymology
From German Leitmotiv (“leading motif”), from leiten (“to lead”) + Motiv (“motif”), originally used to describe Wagnerian opera. The spelling was influenced by motif.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.