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subtext

[ suhb-tekst ]
/ ˈsʌbˌtɛkst /
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noun

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

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of subtext

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

OTHER WORDS FROM subtext

sub·tex·tu·al, adjective

Words nearby subtext

subterminal, subternatural, subterrane, subterranean, subterrestrial, subtext, subthalamic nucleus, subthalamus, subtherapeutic, subthreshold, subthreshold stimulus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to subtext

connotation, implication, association, coloring, hint, nuance, undertone, meaning, understanding

Example sentences from the Web for subtext

British Dictionary definitions for subtext

subtext
/ (ˈsʌbˌtɛkst) /

noun

an underlying theme in a piece of writing
a message which is not stated directly but can be inferred
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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