subtext
[ suhb-tekst ]
/ ˈsʌbˌtɛkst /
noun
the underlying or implicit meaning, as of a literary work.
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Related formssub·tex·tu·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
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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
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Word Origin and History for subtext
subtext
"underlying theme of a work of literature, 1950, from sub- + text. Originally a term in Konstantin Stanislavsky's theory of acting. Earlier it was used in a literally sense of "text appearing below other text on a page" (1726).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper