Motif Common

Motif has 4 different meanings across 1 category:

Definitions

Noun

a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

"The ancient temple features an intricate motif of intertwined vines and leaves running along its entire facade."

motif motive

a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

"The composer introduced a simple melodic motif at the beginning of the symphony and developed it throughout all four movements."

motif motive

a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work

"it was the usual `boy gets girl' theme"

theme motif

A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.

"The floral motif repeats throughout the fabric's design, creating a cohesive and elegant look."

In plain English: A motif is a recurring theme, symbol, or idea that appears throughout a story to help develop its main message.

"The floral pattern on her dress repeats with every new motif."

Usage: Use motif to describe a specific, repeating design pattern in art or literature rather than the general idea of a central theme. Do not confuse it with motive, which refers to a reason for doing something.

Example Sentences

"The floral pattern on her dress repeats with every new motif." noun

"The recurring motif of birds appears in many old stories." noun

"He chose a floral motif for his new kitchen wallpaper." noun

"A simple geometric motif can add elegance to any design." noun

Origin

The word motif entered English from French around 1848 to mean a main idea or theme. It is related to the English word motive, though it developed its specific artistic sense independently in France before crossing over into our language.

Rhyming Words

atif stif hatif latif notif chétif digestif biomotif submotif aperitif apéritif minimotif antimotif leitmotif dispositif abdullatif intermotif supermotif bach motif pseudomotif

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