leitmotif
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
leitmotif
- /ˈlaɪt.məʊˌtiːf/ UK
- /ˈlaɪt.moʊˌtif/ US
- /ˈleɪt.moʊˌtif/ US, nonstandard
- /ˈlaɪt.moʊˌtɪv/ US, nonstandard
Where it comes from
From German Leitmotiv (“leading motif”), from leiten (“to lead”) + Motiv (“motif”), originally used to describe Wagnerian opera. The spelling was influenced by motif.
noun leitmotifs · leitmotiv · leit-motif
- 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.
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A recurring theme.
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.
Similar: common thread
Translations
Every language
noun melodic theme in an opera
| Español | leitmotif |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 主題 /主题 zhǔtí |
| Português | leitmotiv |
| Français | leitmotiv |
| Deutsch | Leitmotiv |
| Ελληνικά | λάιτ μοτίβ láit motív |
| Русский | лейтмоти́в lejtmotív, лейттема lejttema |
noun recurring theme
| Español | leitmotif |
|---|---|
| Português | leitmotiv |
| Français | leitmotiv, thème récurrent, fil conducteur, fil rouge |
Talk about this word "leitmotif." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/leitmotif. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. leitmotif. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/leitmotif "leitmotif." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/leitmotif.Cite this
@misc{leitmotif_2026,
title = {leitmotif},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/leitmotif},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
