The principal theme of the book is the American Revolution.
Source: tatoeba (43943)
Theme
/θiːm/
Synonyms for "theme" (339 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (68)
Noun(30 words)
motifsubjecttopicactivity themeaging processarrangearts contentarts topicsassignment topicbasebiologize biology topicsbiology topiccathacentercentral ideachapter topiccivics topiccivil rights eraclass topicclassify
Show 10 more words
classroom topiccommon educational topiccompletely unrelated topiccompositionconcerning the topicconnectconservation themecontent conceptcontent ofcourse subject
Adjective(5 words)
biological conceptcatalan matèriacatalan motiuclassical motifcreative ideas
Strong matches (102)
Noun(40 words)
cuckoldingcurrent matterdaffodil motif designdesign conceptdesign motifdesperationdistant topicdrawing promptdrifteducation themeendlessnessexample subjectfate boundfocusfocus of discussionfolklore motifsframefrench mythiquegeneral chemistry topicgeneral science topic
Show 20 more words
german motivgrammatical subjectgrouphealth education topichistory topichistory topicshomecomingshot topichumanities topicsideainstructional topicir topicitalian motivoitalian topicokulthummleitmotiflesson focuslesson topiclevel of regularitylife science topic
Adjective(8 words)
cultural rebellion themescultural topiceducational themefrench motifhistorical topicinstructional subjectitalian materialatin materia topics
cuttingdeclensiondecorative compositiondecorative styledenouementderivationdescantdesigndetaildevelopmentdevicedifference of formdiscoursediscussiondisquisitiondissertationencliticepisodeessayessence
Show 34 more words
etudeexaminationexcursusexerciseexpositionfablefalling actionfeaturefigurefirst approachfocus of attentionfocus of interestfoilforeground detailformformativefree formgimmickgistheadheadinghomilyic analysisideaimmediate constituent analysisincidentinfixinfixationinflectionintroductory studyissuekeynoteleitmotivline
Related words (169)
living issuelocal colorlucubrationmain pointmattermatter in handmeasuremeatmelodymemoirmonographmoodmorceaumorphmorphememorphemic analysismorphemicsmorphologymorphophonemicsmotif
Show 76 more words
motivemovementmythosnational stylenotenotionornamental motifoutlinepandectpaperparadigmparagraphpatternperiod styleperipeteiaphrasepieceplanplotpointpoint at issuepoint in questionprefixprefixationpreliminary studyproblemprocliticprolegomenonquestionradicalrecognitionrepeated figureresearch paperreviewrising actionrootrubricschemescreedsecondary plotsettingsketchslantspecial articlestemstorystrainstructurestudystylesubjectsubject mattersubject of thoughtsubplotsubstancesuffixsuffixationsurveyswitchtenorterm papertextthematic developmentthesisthreadtonetopictouchtracttractatetreatisetreatmenttunetwistword formationword-formation
Adjective(9 words)
main academic subjectnonrenewable energy topicrecurring patternsimple subjectsocial studies topicsolid matter the materialtheoretical subjectwhole subjectwoven motif
Noun(61 words)
main ideamath topicmath topicsmatter a lotmatter formatter mostmatter under studymelodic thememelodiesmessagesmodule topicmore conceptualmotif across chaptersmotif basedmotifsmotivesmusical elementmusical themenarrative subjectnonphysiological topic
Show 41 more words
organizepaperpatientpatternpattern the dataradicalrecurring ideareportresearch subjectrootroot wordschool subjectsseductionssocial science topicstemstory subjectstory themestrandsstudent subjectstudy topicsubjsubject a paragraph tosubject a text tosubject of sentencesubject of studysubject someone tosubject tosubjectstech history topicthe current topicthreadtopic focustopic for discussiontopic of social matteringtopic relatedtopicnesstopicstopostropesunit themeunit topic
Determiner(3 words)
the subjectthis subjectthis topic
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: motif, subject, topic, accidence, action.
- Sentence evidence is available for theme, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "theme".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "theme"
Keep "theme" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "theme" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "theme", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "theme" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
36 entriesShowing 16 of 36 words.
More specific
15 entriescause and effectcontinuity and changecultural exchangeeconomic changeperformance taskpolitical conflictprimary source focusproject questionsocial inequalitytheme a lessontheme a projecttheme a unittheme an exhibittheme primary sourcestheme timelines
Collocations
10 entriescentral themehistorical thememajor themetheme a lessontheme a projecttheme a unittheme an exhibittheme primary sourcestheme statementunit theme
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
6 entriesTranslations
11 translations across 8 languages.
Finnish
2 entries- aihe noun (recurring idea)
- teema noun (recurring idea)
German
1 entries- Motiv noun (recurring idea)
Hungarian
1 entries- motívum noun (recurring idea)
Japanese
1 entries- 主題 noun (recurring idea)
Māori
2 entries- tāhuhu noun (recurring idea)
- tāhū noun (recurring idea)
Portuguese
1 entries- tema noun (recurring idea)
Romanian
1 entries- temă noun (recurring idea)
Spanish
2 entries- tema noun (recurring idea)
- temática noun (recurring idea)
Sample sentences
16 total sentences available.
This theme should be treated in more detail.
Source: tatoeba (60851)
We had a thrilling time at the theme park.
Source: tatoeba (68670)
What is the theme of his latest novel?
Source: tatoeba (285210)
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "theme"?
Closest matches include motif, subject, topic, accidence, action.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "theme"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.