motif
moh-TEEF
/moʊˈtiːf/
A recurring image, object, phrase, or idea that helps to develop and inform the central theme of a literary work.
Must recur multiple times across a text to reinforce a broader abstract theme.
The story behind the word. Adapted from French motif (from Late Latin motivus, moving). It moved from describing a recurring musical melody to an author's recurring visual or thematic pattern.
Word relationships
- leitmotif: Leitmotif comes from music theory and refers to a short recurring phrase associated with a specific person or idea.
Commonly confused with
- theme: Theme is the central philosophical idea, while motif is a recurring concrete image or symbol that points to that theme.
Collocations
- recurring motif
- central motif
- visual motif
- dominant motif
Example sentences
- "The recurring motif of ticking clocks underscores the protagonist's anxiety about mortality." Literary critique
Memory hook
A MOTIF MOTIVATES and keeps returning throughout the narrative. Recurring detail building a theme.
When not to use
Do not confuse motif with a theme itself; a motif is a concrete recurring detail, while a theme is the underlying abstract message.
Fun facts
- In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock acts as a famous recurring motif.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.