motto
noun
[ ˈmɒtəʊ ]
• a short sentence or phrase chosen as encapsulating the beliefs or ideals of an individual, family, or institution.
• "the family motto is ‘Faithful though Unfortunate’"
Similar:
maxim,
saying,
proverb,
aphorism,
adage,
saw,
axiom,
formula,
expression,
phrase,
rule,
dictum,
precept,
epigram,
gnome,
slogan,
catchphrase,
watchword,
byword,
cry,
battle cry,
truism,
cliché,
platitude,
apophthegm,
• a phrase which recurs throughout a musical work and has some symbolical significance.
• "they were developing the use of leitmotifs or mottoes that appear throughout an opera"
Origin:
late 16th century: from Italian, ‘word’.
