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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2024
Many conflicts, including those raging today—think of Gaza, for instance—have this underlying subtext.
—Adam Hochschild, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2024
There’s not much subtext, everything remains on the surface, and the exceptionally wordy script relies on exposition dumps to inform the audience about rumors, twists, deals and double-crosses.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2024
When President Biden welcomes Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, to Washington this week for a visit highlighted by the pomp of a state dinner, there will be an inescapable subtext to all the ceremony: Both leaders are in a fight to keep their jobs.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Despite this potentially campy subtext, however, the film’s existential hopelessness leaves a bleak impression.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024
But Guadagnino’s execution is all about subtext, calibrating things such that body language speaks volumes.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
The dictionary was used to assess the emotional subtext of the tweets Jones amassed, as well as a sample of 6 million tweets posted on the day of the eclipse.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Though Galicia did not invoke race, the subtext along Central Avenue is never too far from the surface.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subtext.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Subtext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtext. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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