principal theme
collocation in Englishmeaningsofprincipalandtheme
These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withtheme.
principal
adjective[before noun]
uk/ˈprɪn.sə.pəl/us/ˈprɪn.sə.pəl/
first in order ...
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theme
noun[C]
uk/θiːm/us/θiːm/
the main subject of a talk, book, ...
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(Definition ofprincipalandthemefrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)
Examplesofprincipal theme
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Such regrets provide the preamble for the novel'sprincipaltheme: unrequited love.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Lacking aprincipalthemeor protagonist, the air of generic activity just goes on too long.
From theCambridge English Corpus
The balance between individuality and piety is aprincipalthemeof this book.
From theCambridge English Corpus
The eponymous hero, whose unrequited love comprises theprincipalthemeof the opera, sings no fewer than six airs in this style.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Aprincipalthemeof the book is the way this genetic reconstruction is supported by analysis of languages.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Although he has copious material to illustrate the cruelties and oppression of the colonial cotton growing system, this is not theprincipaltheme.
From theCambridge English Corpus
What is most striking about the legends is the place of supernatural power as theirprincipaltheme.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Itsprincipalthemeis, rightly, broad cooperation and efforts to achieve worldwide organization.
FromEuroparl Parallel Corpus - English
Theprincipalthemeis collaboration.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Unfortunately, one finds very often that in these discussions the question, of miners' wages becomes theprincipaltheme.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
There were six films of which crime was the sole orprincipalthemeor in which crime was extenuated or held up for sympathy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Theprincipalthemeof that report was that there should be at the head of the industry a national council for coal which would control the destiny of the industry.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Theprincipalthemeunderlying the directive—that the advertising process can give full value to the public only if it is honest and truthful—is unexceptionable.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
What was theprincipalthemeraised in the course of our debates during the last few days?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Aprincipalthemeis the portrayal of children and their difficulties establishing their own identity.
From
Wikipedia
Theprincipalthemeof most of her poetry is love and longing.
From
Wikipedia
The principal themes will be familiar to specialists, but the comparative dimension stimulates much interesting comment.
From theCambridge English Corpus
In some compositions, aprincipalthemeis announced and then a second melody, sometimes called a "countertheme" or "secondary theme", may occur.
From
Wikipedia
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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