theme song

noun

plural theme songs
1
: a song or melody strongly associated with someone or something
a famous performer's theme song
the theme song of a political campaign
often : an identifying melody or song typically played at the beginning of a movie, television show, etc., and sometimes recurring during its course
Some of these shows were truly unforgettable, with catchy theme songs that are instantly recognizable decades later. Grant Butler
2
: a statement, expression, or opinion repeatedly heard from someone
But literary history is also entangled with criticism. Inevitably so; let me revert unblushingly to my theme song: in order to appreciate a masterpiece, we must be acquainted with its language …Albert Guerard

Examples of theme song in a Sentence

He was playing the theme song from “The Godfather.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At least that’s what the theme song for Under 30 alum, content creator, and card game founder Serena Kerrigan’s debut TV series says. Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 Norm was America’s favorite barfly, and as the theme song said, everybody knew his name. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 23 May 2025 And [composer] Michael Abels came back with this theme song that just rocked our worlds, and Julianne [Moore] was amazing and studied it. Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025 Cheers’s opening theme song said the eponymous bar was where everybody knows your name. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for theme song

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of theme song was in 1908

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Cite this Entry

“Theme song.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theme%20song. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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