subplot

American  

[suhb-plot] / ˈsʌbˌplɒt /

noun

1. a secondary or subordinate plot, as in a play, novel, or other literary work; underplot.

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subplot British  

/ ˈsʌbˌplɒt /

noun

1. a subordinate or auxiliary plot in a novel, play, film, etc

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Etymology

Origin of subplot

First recorded in 1915–20; sub- + plot

Explanation

A secondary story in a book or movie, rather than the central narrative, is its subplot. Romeo and Juliet focuses on the main characters' love, but one of its many subplots is the rivalry between Mercutio and Tybalt. You can think of a subplot as a side story, something that seems a bit less important than the main plot but usually ties into it in some way. Almost all fiction has at least one subplot, from Inigo Montoya's desire for revenge in The Princess Bride to the comedic interactions of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Shakespeare's Hamlet. This literary term adds the prefix sub-, "under" or "smaller," to plot, "the main events of a story."

Example Sentences

So, back to this one – Wayne Rooney is back in for United, in for Ashley Young, while Morgan Schneiderlin pushes us firmly into Subplot Territory by replacing Bastian Schweinsteiger in the starting team.

From The Guardian • Sep. 20, 2015

BST10:27 So, back to this one – Wayne Rooney is back in for United, in for Ashley Young, while Morgan Schneiderlin pushes us firmly into Subplot Territory by replacing Bastian Schweinsteiger in the starting team.

From The Guardian • Sep. 20, 2015