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

Knowledge of that ticking clock is one of many affecting veins of melancholy subtext running through Ira Sachs’ uniquely beautiful experiment in verbatim first-person biography, Peter Hujar’s Day, a work that ranks among the director’s best. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025

There’s an almost subliminal call to action among the layers of subtext in SLY LIVES! —Naima Cochrane, VIBE.com, 23 Jan. 2025

All of which is to say, this is not a show that prizes subtext. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025

Davis’ essay is once again being quoted, directly and in subtext, as officials, experts, historians and randos on Reddit discuss the sustainability of Southern Californians living so close to hills and mountains where fire regularly breaks out. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above