A leitmotif (LITE-moh-teef) is a musical phrase or melody that appears repeatedly throughout a piece of music, each time representing the same character, idea, or emotion.

The composer Richard Wagner pioneered this technique in his operas. In his famous “Ring Cycle,” whenever a particular character appears or is mentioned, their special musical theme plays. It's like giving each important person or idea its own musical signature. Modern movie composers use leitmotifs constantly. In the Star Wars films, Darth Vader has his ominous “Imperial March,” while Luke Skywalker has a hopeful, adventurous theme. When you hear those few notes, you immediately know what's happening, even without seeing the screen.

Beyond music, people sometimes use leitmotif to describe any recurring element in a story or even in someone's life. You might say that “never giving up” is a leitmotif in your grandmother's life story, or that friendship is a leitmotif throughout the Chronicles of Narnia books. In these cases, the word means a repeated, unifying theme that helps everything make sense as a whole.