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leitmotiv

leitmotif

noun layt-moh-TEEF Rare

Origin: German Leitmotiv, 'leading motive'

Also means

recurring theme

Usage Note

Leitmotiv (also spelled leitmotif) entered Spanish from German via music criticism to describe a recurring musical phrase associated with a character or idea; in general usage it means any dominant recurring theme in a work or discourse. It is treated as masculine in Spanish.

Examples

"La soledad es el leitmotiv de toda la novela."

Natural Translation

Loneliness is the leitmotif of the entire novel.

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