1. a recurring musical phrase or theme associated with a particular character, idea, or situation in a musical composition or film
Usage: commonly used in opera and film scoring; also spelled 'leitmotiv'
2. a dominant or recurring theme or pattern in a literary work, artistic style, or person's life
Usage: extended or figurative use

Examples

• The leitmotif for the villain in the opera returns each time he appears on stage.
• In the film, a haunting leitmotif plays whenever the protagonist remembers her childhood.
• Isolation is a leitmotif throughout the novel, appearing in nearly every chapter.
• The composer used a distinctive leitmotif to represent the hero's journey.
• Critics noted that self-discovery served as the leitmotif of the artist's entire career.
• Wagner's operas are famous for their use of leitmotifs to develop character and emotion.