Skip to content

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.

Explore Spanish by topic