Words / L / General

leitmotif

noun/ˈlaɪtməʊtiːf/

C1CEFR level
65/100Rarity: rare
TechnicalRegister

A recurring musical phrase or theme associated with a particular character, idea or situation.

A brooding leitmotif in the cellos announces the villain's every entrance.

Similar: motif

Topic: Literature & the arts in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: Literature & the arts