Definitions for "Leitmotif"
a guiding theme; in Wagnerian opera, a marked melodic phrase or short musical passage which always accompanies the reappearance of a certain person, situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the play; a sort of musical label. Also called Leading motive.
a recurring theme in the activities of a person or group.
Invented by Richard Wagner, a leitmotif is a musical theme assigned to the main character or idea in the opera.