subtext
noun
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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
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2025
Bong’s rationalization is that quirky Mickey 17 opposes Mickey 18’s plans to assassinate Niflheim’s fascist developer, Kenneth Marshall, a lousy Trump impersonation by Mark Ruffalo, confirming the film’s predictably leftist political subtext.
—Armond White, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
The Dutchman is at its weakest when the director-writer brings all the underlying tension to the surface and makes subtext literal.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
For cinephiles of a certain age, the movie has additional resonance thanks to the subtext that runs underneath the various plot lines related to artists whose relationship to their art has changed.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtext
Cite this Entry
“Subtext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtext. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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