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 orderliness in the lives of the devoutly religious became an attractive subtext during the creation of this album. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 20 June 2024

But there's a subtext to the trip for both leaders. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 18 June 2024

The subtext of the scene is that the doctor, leaving room for hope, is gently trying to get the mother to realize the bleakness of her child’s prospects and thus to better weigh the risks and benefits. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024

The other major change is that all the coy homoerotic subtext of their relationship is now overtly text. —Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above