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

Author Gregory Maguire, who wrote the book in which the musical is based off of, recently told Them that the romantic subtext between the two main witches was intentional on his part. —Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Dec. 2024

The ministers spoke of how God’s love—and, of course, the support of the audience—made such donations possible, but the subtext was much louder: God had blessed America, and now America was blessing everyone else. —Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024

The story’s subtext—or, rather, its glaring bold type—is that we’re all shaped by our choices, which are at least partly determined by our response to how others treat us. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Nov. 2024

This detail contrasts with her unscarred shoulder in a flashback earlier in the same episode, something Leach underscores in his voice performance to imbue subtext and meaning into the character’s harrowing experiences at Arkham Asylum. —Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above