subtext

[ suhb-tekst ]

noun

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

subtext

/ ˈsʌbˌtɛkst /

noun

1. an underlying theme in a piece of writing
2. a message which is not stated directly but can be inferred

Other Words From

• sub·textu·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of subtext¹

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

Example Sentences

The subtext of the clown is that life is a joke and can be snatched away at any moment.

From The Daily Beast

These witnesses should be of the same gender as the employee, to avoid any suggestion of a “sexual subtext”.

From The Daily Beast

And the subtext to that remark, just in case you missed it, is: and neither should he!

From The Daily Beast

It is, in a way, a lighthearted routine with a dark subtext: many of those gathered are accustomed to failure at auditions.

From The Daily Beast

And so on and so forth, with the ominous subtext fairly shrieking  over the pleasant and heartwarming text.

From The Daily Beast

These have been converted into two equations on two lines, with the arrow subtext moved into the equations.

From Project Gutenberg