subtext

noun

sub·​text ˈsəb-ˌtekst 

: the implicit or metaphorical meaning (as of a literary text)

subtextual

ˌsəb-ˈteks-chə-wəl 

-chəl

adjective

subtextually adverb

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The hypocrisy of a society continually looking for scapegoats to assign blame while refusing to examine its own dark heart provides a semblance of subtext. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025

While the moon is in Sagittarius, avoid reading into subtext that isn’t there. —Usa Today, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025

What’s needed is a more targeted approach that goes beyond surface-level pattern matching to interpret intent and subtext in social data. —Dr. Chiranjiv Roy, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Only very rarely on these shows does harsh reality break through from subtext to text, leading to difficult conversations and possibly even breakups over politics, identity and beliefs. —Aisha Harris, NPR, 13 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subtext

• complexed
• deflexed
• perplexed
• plaintext
• pretext
• reflexed
• ciphertext
• hypertext
• multiplexed
• teletext
• flexed
• next