subtext
noun
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A literary text often has more than one meaning: the literal meaning of the words on the page, and their hidden meaning, what exists "between the lines"—the subtext. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, for example, is about the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century, but its subtext is the comparison of those trials with the "witch hunts" of the 1950s, when many people were unfairly accused of being communists. Even a social conversation between a man and a woman may have a subtext, but you may have to listen very closely to figure out what it is. Don't confuse subtext with subplot, a less important plot that moves along in parallel with the main plot.
Examples of subtext in a Sentence
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2025
There’s a clear excitement around these ideas, but instead of trusting audiences with subtext, the director indulges in taxing exposition.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Just like The Clone Wars took the foundation of the prequel trilogy and turned subtext into text, Andor takes the simple story of rebels going against an empire and brings politics and revolution to the forefront.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2025
Knowledge of that ticking clock is one of many affecting veins of melancholy subtext running through Ira Sachs’ uniquely beautiful experiment in verbatim first-person biography, Peter Hujar’s Day, a work that ranks among the director’s best.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near subtext
Cite this Entry
“Subtext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtext. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.
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