subtext

American  

[suhb-tekst] / ˈsʌbˌtɛkst /

noun

1. the underlying or implicit meaning, as of a literary work.

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subtext British  

/ ˈsʌbˌtɛkst /

noun

1. an underlying theme in a piece of writing

2. a message which is not stated directly but can be inferred

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Other Word Forms

• subtextual adjective

Etymology

Origin of subtext

1945–50; translation of Russian podtékst; sub-, text

Example Sentences

That is exactly what he did today, but with a clear subtext: the events of the last 48 hours or so had crossed a rubicon.

From BBC

This is an offhanded remark, perhaps with no subtext at all.

From Salon

And what better way to do that than to defy all subtext by making it as outwardly straight as humanly possible?

From Salon

The subtext, and sometimes the text, was often Mind Your Own Business.

From The Wall Street Journal

The score has a military subtext—trumpets and drums are always interrupting happy scenes, and an ominous horn theme plays a major role.

From The Wall Street Journal