What term refers to a musical pattern that is repeated throughout a composition?

The term "ostinato" refers to a musical pattern that is consistently repeated throughout a piece of music. This can manifest in various musical elements, such as melody, rhythm, or harmony. Ostinatos are a fundamental compositional technique that creates a sense of structure and familiarity for the listener, allowing other musical ideas to be developed around it.

In contrast, arpeggios pertain specifically to the playing of the notes of a chord in succession rather than simultaneously, and they do not imply repetition in the same way as an ostinato. Ornamentation refers to embellishments added to a melody enhancing its expressiveness but does not focus on repetition of a pattern. Enharmonic refers to notes or pitches that are spelled differently but sound the same, which also does not relate to the concept of repetition in a musical phrase. Thus, the definition of ostinato distinctly aligns with the concept of repeated musical patterns.