trope

noun \ ˈtrōp \

Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of trope

1 a : a word or expression used in a figurative sense : figure of speech

b : a common or overused theme or device : cliché

the usual horror movie tropes

2 : a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

See trope defined for English-language learners

Examples of trope in a Sentence

a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes

Recent Examples of trope from the Web

Big-budget video games still frequently objectify and sexualize their female characters; damaging sexist—and sometimes racist—tropes can reinforce negative stereotypes.

— rachel stone, The New Republic, "A Video Game That Wants to Stop Sexual Harassment," 15 May 2018
Janes fills his script with lots of standard rock-star tropes (example: stodgy, stick-in-the-mud record producer proclaims the artist's songs are crap; younger, hipper producer takes the same songs and turns them into gold).

— jack helbig, Chicago Reader, "You already know The Buddy Holly Story," 10 May 2018
Mysterious disappearances, creepy mansions, and characters trapped in locations far from home are all standard horror movie tropes.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "Don’t Leave Home is a wonderfully atmospheric waking nightmare," 6 May 2018
In other words, Ms. Jamison is after greatness, and this is an exhaustive and definitive Big Book, expressing the contemporary trope of sobriety that directly mirrors religious conversion.

— kate christensen, WSJ, "‘The Recovering’ Review: When Another Drink Will Kill You," 20 Apr. 2018
To Protect and Serve Utilitarian tropes, from outdoorsy gorpcore to camouflage, have been permeating fashion for some time, but this was the season that protective garments really took hold.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "The Top Trends of Fall 2018: The Women’s and Men’s Edition," 14 Mar. 2018
Long a popular horror movie trope, voodoo is an Afro-Caribbean religion that originated in Haiti but is practiced in many countries in the Western Hemisphere.

— cleve r. wootson jr., Washington Post, "A child was taken to a voodoo practitioner for discipline. Police say she will be permanently disfigured.," 4 Feb. 2018
These are easy tropes to fall back on this time of year.

— jeff sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Corey Kluber, a former Padre, again a Cy Young winner," 15 Nov. 2017
As Bailey noted in his piece, Infinity War could’ve been a chance for Marvel to move away from the old tropes of comic-book storytelling and set out a fresher formula.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "'Infinity War' and the Point of Comic-Book Deaths," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of trope

Latin tropus, from Greek tropos turn, way, manner, style, trope, from trepein to turn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

TROPE Defined for English Language Learners

trope

noun

Definition of trope for English Language Learners

: a word, phrase, or image used in a new and different way in order to create an artistic effect

Learn More about trope

See words that rhyme with trope Nglish: Translation of trope for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of trope for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trope

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