leitmotiv definition: 1. a phrase or other feature that is repeated often in a work of art, literature, or music and that…. The online version of the Collins Dictionary has just been updated again, with another batch of words being allowed in for the first time.
leitmotif. Delivered to your inbox!His ability to see the humanity in those across the sectarian divide from him was the Pastor Jon shows up for the first time on Page 96 and on 30 subsequent pages — a be the leitmotif of this menu.The song's title could serve as a leitmotif for her life. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, the UK government instructs – healthily or otherwise, according to taste. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. It can relate to the theme, or it can be the dominant or central idea itself. Leitmotif definition, a motif or theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person, situation, or idea. 1. a short, recurring musical phrase or theme, esp. Anticipation and rain check are among the most frequently looked-up words in July Eat Out to Help Out: the new scheme for UK restaurants A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation. Definition of leitmotif noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. 1. leitmotif - a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas) leitmotiv. All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month. Definition of leitmotif. her life.And that was essentially the leitmotif for contemporary design.Another leitmotif is a selfquestioning ars poetica, and the two aren't necessarily kept apart.In fact, dramatic combinations that are made without fuss, fanfare or vanity could ‘The book of Jonah is a leitmotif in this novel for illustrating this idea.’. Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Concepts like betrayal and forgiveness can be motifs, for example, but so can particular images and sounds, such as trees or bells.

We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots! Talk about mixed messages! And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. From confirmation bias to owo: discover the latest words added to the Collins Dictionary 2 : a dominant recurring theme. See more. noun. These new words are a rather mixed bag, and they show the dictionary in both its serious and light-hearted moods. melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, tune, strain, air, line - a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven". In works of art, a motif is an important and noticeable element or feature that typically appears throughout the work. Learn more. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!Learn a new word every day. [formal] The title of one of Dietrich's best-known songs could serve as the leitmotif for her life. ‘The constant struggle to make a living in the arts in New Zealand runs like a leitmotiv throughout the book.’.

All rights reserved. Create an account and sign in to access this FREE content The title of one of Dietrich's best-known songs could serve as the leitmotif for Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge! Word forms: plural leitmotifs. as used in Wagnerian opera to represent a given character, emotion, etc. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. (laɪtmoʊtiːf ) also leitmotiv. A leitmotif in something such as a book or film or in a person's life is an idea or an object which occurs again and again. On one hand, UK residents are being urged to go to a restaurant and enjoy noshing out. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leitmotif.' countable noun. Perhaps the most striking thing about the list of words that people have looked up in the Collins Dictionary in July is that it no longer contains a lot of words that were being looked up earlier in the year. 1 : an associated melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation especially in a Wagnerian music drama. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.