theme

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a style or decoration that is used throughout a place or an event.

n. a unifying style or motif used to create a consistent atmosphere in a physical space or event.

“The birthday party had a tropical theme with palm trees and sand.”

“The hotel's interior design follows a minimalist theme, using neutral colours and natural wood to create a sense of calm.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Music

n. a short piece of music that is played at the start of a movie or TV show.

n. a recognisable melody or musical sequence associated with a specific character, programme, or film.

“I always hum the theme song of my favourite cartoon.”

“The composer introduced a haunting violin theme that recurred whenever the villain appeared on screen.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Academic · Technical

n. the part of a sentence that contains the information you are already talking about.

n. the part of a clause that provides the point of departure for the message; often contrasted with the 'rheme'.

“In the sentence 'As for the money, I lost it', the theme is 'the money'.”

“Functional grammar distinguishes between the theme, which anchors the clause in context, and the rheme, which provides new information.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing

v. to design something so that it follows a specific style or idea.

v. to apply a specific aesthetic or conceptual design to a physical space or digital interface.

“They decided to theme the restaurant like an old library.”

“Users can theme their operating system by downloading custom icon packs and colour schemes from the community forum.”