subtext

[ suhb-tekst ]
See synonyms for subtext on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the underlying or implicit meaning, as of a literary work.

Origin of subtext

1
1945–50; translation of Russian podtékst;see sub-, text

Other words from subtext

  • sub·tex·tu·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use subtext in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subtext

subtext

/ (ˈsʌbˌtɛkst) /


noun
  1. an underlying theme in a piece of writing

  2. 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