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

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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

See Examples For:

subplot

Mr. Flanagan has introduced a subplot to the existing “Carrie” text that alters quite a bit of the narrative, which may be met with some disgruntlement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Instead, Iñárritu shoves in a limp subplot about a missing daughter to humanize him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

I don’t blame you for blissfully memory-holing this particular subplot.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

As if that were not enough to make the average salad eater develop a mild interest in supply-chain forensics, the story soon acquired a political subplot.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

A character policeman, a comedy jury foreman, and a subplot of love story between the character policeman and an Irish cook had been "written in."

From Star-Dust by Fannie Hurst

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