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
Sameer Rao, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
After a rousing start (setlist below), what followed was a vivid, loving tribute to all different flavors and musical genres of Latin culture, as loaded with subtext as Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl headlining performance.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
Even if Connelly, Ant and the other Wolves choose to interpret the subtext of this past weekend as bulletin board material.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
The debate will be a subtext -- and likely flare publicly -- as thousands of activists, influencers and Republican lawmakers gather at the Conservative Political Action Conference that began Wednesday outside Dallas.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subtext
Cite this Entry
“Subtext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtext. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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