(music) melodic subject of a musical composition
"the theme is announced in the first measures"
"the accompanist picked up the idea and elaborated it"
an essay (especially one written as an assignment)
"he got an A on his composition"
A subject of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic.
"The author decided to explore the theme of resilience in her latest novel."
In plain English: A theme is the main idea or message that runs through a story, movie, or piece of art.
"The movie's main theme is about friendship and overcoming challenges."
Usage: Use theme to refer to the central idea, subject matter, or recurring motif in a story, speech, or work of art. Distinguish it from plot by focusing on what the narrative explores rather than the sequence of events that occur.
To give a theme to.
"The teacher decided to give a theme of ocean exploration to our upcoming science fair projects."
In plain English: To theme something means to organize it around a specific subject or idea.
"The band decided to theme their concert around the 1920s."
The word theme comes from the Latin thema and Ancient Greek θέμα, which originally meant "something placed." It entered Middle English via Old French to describe a subject or topic for discussion.