From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishleitmotifleit‧mo‧tif, leitmotiv /ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf $ -moʊ-/ noun [countable] 1 APM technical a musical phrase that is repeated several times during a long musical work and represents a particular character or idea2 OFTENsomething that is seen or heard very many times and so becomes a typical feature of a place, time, or person Her designs in clothing became a leitmotif of the 1970s.
Examples from the Corpus
leitmotif• Ashton has other ways of creating a leitmotif to link incidents pertinent to the plot throughout a ballet.• This can be effected by the use of a leitmotif or phrases of music.• It was a leitmotif of the early It.• Managed competition, rather than a free market in health care, is the leitmotif of the reforms.• This remained the leitmotif of a torrent of radio, television and newspaper interviews Heseltine gave in the days following his resignation.• The leitmotifs for Giselle created by Adam and Perrot can be said to disclose her emotional development.Origin leitmotif (1800-1900) German leitmotiv, from leiten “to lead” + motiv “motive” (from French motif) 