idea vs motif

idea and motif both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
idea	Yes	No	No	No
motif	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, motif is a hyponym of idea; that is, motif is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than idea:

idea: the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
motif: a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work

As nouns, motif is a hyponym of idea; that is, motif is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than idea:

Other hyponyms of idea include motive, statement, variation.

idea (noun)	motif (noun)
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about	a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration
your intention; what you intend to do	a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work
an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth	a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music
a personal view
(music) melodic subject of a musical composition