theme
n. countablen. the main idea or subject that repeats throughout a book, movie, or conversation. It can also be the style of a room or a party, like a 'tropical' theme.
n. a unifying or dominant idea, motif, or style in a creative work or social event. In linguistics, it refers to the part of a clause that provides the starting point of the message.
The main theme of the book is friendship.
The hotel rooms are decorated with a nautical theme, featuring blue walls and wooden furniture.
While the film is ostensibly a thriller, its underlying theme explores the psychological toll of isolation and the fragility of human memory.
From Middle English teme, from Old French teme, tesme (French thème), from Latin thema, from Ancient Greek θέμα (théma), from τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”), reduplicative from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do”) (whence also English do). Doublet of thema.
Commonly used with the preposition 'of' to specify the subject matter.