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
Jane Smiley
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
That kind of fine-dining lineage suffused itself into the subtext of the 2025 awards.
—Caroline Hatchett, Robb Report, 19 June 2025
The subtext of the missive raises several questions.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 18 June 2025
That sense of space, both literal and emotional, is central to the film's environmental and psychological subtext.
—Scott Snowden, Space.com, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtext
Cite this Entry
“Subtext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtext. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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