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

Recent Examples on the Web

The subtext of Martha is that Stewart has been punished enough. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024

The film’s subtexts also suggest Oldboy is an overarching allegory of South Korean cultural experiences, with a captive subject forced to be a silent witness to his country’s political and economic upheavals from the past decade. —Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 28 Oct. 2024

Though the filmmaker always said the casting of Black actor Duane Jones as the lead character Ben was not based on race, the Civil Rights Movement subtext was hard to miss. —Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024

Yet a persistent subtext of the conference was that the social interventions taken against the pandemic, such as business and school closings, mask and social distancing advisories and lockdowns, were generally worse than the disease. —Michael A. Hiltzik, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above