theme

1 a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition) <this dance piece deals with the timeless themes of birth and death> Synonyms content, motif, motive, question, subject, matter, topicRelated Words subject matter; talking point; count, idea, point, purpose; consideration, issue, problem; body, bulk, burden, centerpiece, core, crux, essence, fundamental, generality, gist, grist, heart, kernel, keynote, main, marrow, mass, net, nub, nubbin, nucleus, pith, pivot, purport, quick, staple, substance, sum; basis; bottom, essential, essentiality; affair, argument, debateNear Antonyms aside, digression, excursion, interjection, parenthesis, tangent

2 a short piece of writing done as a school exercise <please write a one page theme on the main character of this book> Synonyms paper, compositionRelated Words article, essay, story

3 a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view <the magazine will award a scholarship to the student who writes the best theme on the concept of personal freedom> Synonyms article, composition, paper, essayRelated Words causerie; column, commentary, editorial, feature, report, review, write-up; dissertation, thesis; tract, treatise; discourse, discussion, exposition, prolegomenon, study