Definitions
a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas)
Word origin
From German Leitmotiv (“leading motif”), from leiten (“to lead”) + Motiv (“motif”), originally used to describe Wagnerian opera. The spelling was influenced by motif.
Used in a sentence
“In Wagner's operas, especially his cycle of four operas known collectively as the Ring cycle, the leitmotif did not simply label or point to one particular character or object but rather conjured up a realm of ideas.”
“If one looks for a pattern in the political life of John Connally, one finds a leitmotif of scandals which threatened but never destroyed his career.”
“Such language about an American president from a European ally would have been unthinkable before Mr. Trump made outrage the leitmotif of his presidency, along with an assault on truth.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Recurring musical theme”9 letters
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