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 Word Forms

• subtextual adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of subtext¹

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

Example Sentences

The subtext: The judge didn’t need to impose harsh penalties; the market would take care of itself.

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She became so important to me because I had largely built her out of subtext and this private part of her that mostly the audience was my biggest confidant.”

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The subtext plays out in how the town confronts the other corruptions in its midst.

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Out of Toronto, Times critic Amy Nicholson celebrated the film as “a devilish and dynamic adaptation,” remarking on DaCosta’s changes to Ibsen’s play by saying, “The spirit is faithful; the subtext is fresh.”

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If you saw them, you may have missed the antimaterialist subtext, or the sweet, thoughtful person inside the performer.

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