subtext

noun

sub·text ˈsəb-ˌtekst

: the implicit or metaphorical meaning (as of a literary text)

subtextual

ˌsəb-ˈteks-chə-wəl

-chəl

adjective

subtextually adverb

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A literary text often has more than one meaning: the literal meaning of the words on the page, and their hidden meaning, what exists "between the lines"—the subtext. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, for example, is about the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century, but its subtext is the comparison of those trials with the "witch hunts" of the 1950s, when many people were unfairly accused of being communists. Even a social conversation between a man and a woman may have a subtext, but you may have to listen very closely to figure out what it is. Don't confuse subtext with subplot, a less important plot that moves along in parallel with the main plot.

Examples of subtext in a Sentence

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The film’s ecological subtext seems negligible; Charles’s fear of thermonuclear war is now a joke, after the worldwide embrace of self-destruction during the Covid apocalypse. —

Armond White, National Review, 25 Sep. 2024 A little too close, as Nathan Lane, playing Vanity Fair writer Dominick Dunne, presents with a hammy wink that crushes any notion of subtext. —

Lucy Ford, TIME, 24 Sep. 2024 The entire story overflows with counter-cultural subtext and the dialogue feels more alive because its actors were often improvising. —

Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2024 The subtext is clear: Stephen needn’t bother coming between these women. —

Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subtext