motifs

noun

a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work

a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

Roots

Synonyms & related words for motifs

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Words related to motifs

Explore words related to motifs — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include motific, theme, motivic, patterns, colorway, figuration, ornamentation, palmette. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does motifs come from?

The word motifs breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root mot-, from Latin moveo (“move, mover”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.