I. theme S2 W2 AC /θiːm/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ theme ; adverb : ↑ thematically ; adjective : ↑ thematic ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: thema , from Greek , 'something laid down, theme' , from tithenai 'to put' ]
1 . SUBJECT the main subject or idea in a piece of writing, speech, film etc:
The book’s theme is the conflict between love and duty.
main/central/major etc theme
Campbell has made health care a central theme in his campaign.
Nature is a recurrent theme (=a theme that appears repeatedly) in Frost’s poetry.
Most of Kurt’s other pictures were variations on the same theme.
2 . theme music/song/tune music or a song that is often played during a film or musical play, or at the beginning and end of a television or radio programme:
the theme song from ‘The Brady Bunch’
3 . REPEATED TUNE a short simple tune that is repeated and developed in a piece of music:
Freia’s theme in Wagner’s opera
4 . STYLE a particular style:
Her bedroom is decorated in a Victorian theme.
5 . PIECE OF WRITING American English old-fashioned a short piece of writing on a particular subject that you do for school SYN essay
theme on
Your homework is to write a two-page theme on pollution.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ the main/central/dominant theme
The main theme of the book is the importance of honesty.
▪ a major theme
Cultural change is the second major theme of his work.
▪ a common theme
Death and rebirth is a common theme in Eliot’s poetry.
▪ a recurrent/recurring theme (=one that appears several times)
Returning to traditional values was a major theme of the president’s speech.
▪ an underlying theme (=one that is important but not very noticeable)
One of the book’s underlying themes is the struggle for human rights.
▪ a universal theme (=subjects that affect people of all races and cultures)
Readers everywhere can relate to the universal themes in his work.
■ phrases
▪ variations on a theme (=things with a similar basic subject, style etc)
Most of her short stories are variations on the theme of tragedy.
II. themed /θiːmd/ BrE AmE ( also theme ) adjective [usually before noun]
a themed place or event has been designed to make people who go there feel like they are in a particular place or historical period:
themed restaurants such as the Rainforest Café