# motif

Pronunciation: say "moh-TEEF" US /moʊˈtiːf/, UK /məʊˈtiːf/

## Noun

1. A recurring or dominant element in a work of art, music, or literature; an artistic theme.
   - Simple: A theme, idea, or image that appears again and again in a piece of art or writing.
   - _Loneliness emerges as the central motif of the novel._
   - _Recurring motifs of light and darkness structure the entire trilogy._
2. A decorative figure that is repeated across a design or pattern, such as on wallpaper or fabric.
   - Simple: A small shape or picture that is repeated again and again in a design.
   - _A repeating diamond motif decorated the border of the rug._
   - _The ceramic tiles featured floral motifs in blue and white._
3. A short melodic or lyrical passage repeated in several parts of a musical work.
   - Simple: A short tune or set of notes that comes back several times in a piece of music.
   - _The composer develops a single motif throughout the entire symphony._
   - _Listeners can recognize the opera by its opening motif._
4. A decorative appliqué figure, often of lace or velvet, sewn onto fabric as trimming.
   - Simple: A small fabric shape that is sewn onto clothing or cloth as decoration.
   - _The seamstress applied a delicate lace motif to each sleeve._
   - _Beaded motifs were sewn across the bodice of the wedding gown._
5. The atom, molecule, or group of objects repeated at each point of a crystal lattice.
   - Simple: The atom or group of atoms that is repeated at every point of a crystal pattern.
   - _The crystal's structure repeats a two-atom motif at every lattice point._
   - _Different motifs placed on the same lattice produce different crystal structures._
6. A widespread pattern in a nucleotide or amino acid sequence that has, or is thought to have, biological significance.
   - Simple: A short pattern in DNA or protein that shows up often and may have an important job.
   - _The transcription factor recognizes a specific DNA motif in the promoter region._
   - _Several sequence motifs are shared between the two unrelated enzymes._
7. A basic element of a move, describing why a piece moves and how it supports the fulfillment of a stipulation.
   - Simple: A basic reason why a chess piece moves and how it helps reach a goal.
   - _The composer combined two motifs to create an elegant problem._
   - _Understanding the motif behind a sacrifice often reveals the solution._

## Origin

Borrowed from French "motif" (1848), meaning "main idea or theme." It is a doublet of the word "motive."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/motif (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).