Definition of: theme

(thēm) noun
1. A subject of discourse; a topic to be discussed or developed in speech or writing; hence, any topic.
2. An essay or dissertation; loosely, a brief composition in any form, written as an exercise.
3. Ling. The stem of a word, to which are attached the inflectional endings, consisting of the root unmodified or with some internal change and, often, a thematic vowel common to the particular stem class.
4. A melodic subject usually developed with variations in a musical composition.
5. One of the administrative divisions of the Byzantine Empire. See synonyms under TOPIC. [<OF teme <L thema <Gk. the-, stem of tithenai place]