subcurrent

American  

[suhb-kur-uhnt, -kuhr-] / ˈsʌbˌkɜr ənt, -ˌkʌr- /

noun

1. a not clearly revealed or formulated direction of thought, intention, action, etc., underlying what is manifested.

   His words, though ostensibly friendly, betrayed a subcurrent of hostility.

---

Etymology

Origin of subcurrent

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + current

Example Sentences

But the pair’s personae, which place them as outsiders among insiders and as at once hipsters and squares, are also quintessentially New York Jewish, and Koenig’s consciousness of that status is a subcurrent on Father of the Bride.

From Slate

Griffith’s death brought a roiling racial subcurrent to the surface: he was fatally struck by a car as he fled onto a highway to escape a mob of whites who were chasing him.

From The New Yorker

But it added that “there continues to be a subcurrent of state-sponsored repression and persecution of individuals whose speech crosses boundaries and addresses sensitive issues such as criticizing the state’s foreign policies in regards to China or questioning the monopoly power of the communist party.”

From New York Times

As a text, it hints at the subcurrent of popular culture that flows beneath our greatest literature.

From The Guardian

Baynell gave no outward and obvious sign of notice, but the subcurrent of brooding thought that occupied his mind was token of his evident comprehension and a nettled annoyance.

From Project Gutenberg