1. a recurring theme, melody, or formula associated with a particular person, idea, or situation in a musical or literary work
Usage: also spelled leitmotif; from German, literally 'leading motif'; commonly used in music criticism and literary analysis
2. a dominant or recurring theme in someone's life or behavior
Usage: extended or figurative use

Examples

• Wagner used a distinctive leitmotiv for each character in his operas.
• The composer's leitmotiv of ascending strings returned whenever the hero appeared on stage.
• Betrayal is a leitmotiv throughout the novel, appearing in nearly every chapter.
• Self-doubt has been a leitmotiv in her artistic career.
• The film's leitmotiv—a haunting piano melody—plays during all the pivotal moments.
• In Jaws, the famous two-note leitmotiv signals the shark's presence.