# trope

> English word · Noun · IPA /tɹəʊp/ · frequency rank #25,625

## Definitions
1. Something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature; a motif.
2. An addition (of dialogue, song, music, etc.) to a standard element of the liturgy, serving as an embellishment.
3. A figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning, such as a metaphor.
4. Mathematical senses.
5. Mathematical senses.
6. Musical senses.
7. Musical senses.
8. Musical senses.
9. Philosophical senses.
10. Philosophical senses.

## Etymology
From Latin tropus, from Ancient Greek τρόπος (trópos, “a manner, style, turn, way; a trope or figure of speech; a mode in music; a mode or mood in logic”), related to τροπή (tropḗ, “solstice; trope; turn”) and τρέπειν (trépein, “to turn”); compare turn of phrase. The verb is derived from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **TRP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-trp)
- **true** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-true)
- **type** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-type)
- **Troy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-troy)
- **trot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-trot)
- **trout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-trout)
- **truce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-truce)
- **trove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-trove)
- **Tyrone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-tyrone)
- **troupe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-troupe)
- **tropic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trope-vs-tropic)
- **top** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/top-vs-trope)
- **toe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toe-vs-trope)
- **tre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tre-vs-trope)
- **trip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-trope)
- **tree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tree-vs-trope)
- **tone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tone-vs-trope)
- **tape** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tape-vs-trope)
- **trap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trap-vs-trope)
- **tops** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tops-vs-trope)

## Common misspellings (7)
`rtope`, `torpe`, `troep`, `troppe`, `trpoe`, `trrope`, `ttrope`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/trope