motif.
A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
Meaning & usage
A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
See how the artist repeats the scroll motif throughout the work?
A short melodic or lyrical passage that is repeated in several parts of a work.
A decorative figure that is repeated in a design or pattern.
A decorative appliqué design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.
The physical object or objects repeated at each point of a lattice. Usually atoms or molecules.
A basic element of a move in terms of why the piece moves and how it supports the fulfilment of a stipulation.
In a nucleotide or aminoacid sequence, pattern that is widespread and has, or is conjectured to have, a biological significance.
Where this word comes from
From French motif (1848), with the meaning of "main idea or theme". Doublet of motive.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.