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subtext

[ suhb-tekst ]

/ ˈsʌbˌtɛkst /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR subtext ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the underlying or implicit meaning, as of a literary work.

Origin of subtext

1945–50; translation of Russian podtékst; see sub-, text

OTHER WORDS FROM subtext

sub·tex·tu·al, adjective

Words nearby subtext

subterminal, subternatural, subterrane, subterranean, subterrestrial, subtext, subthalamic nucleus, subthalamus, subtherapeutic, subthreshold, subthreshold stimulus

Example sentences from the Web for subtext

The subtext of the clown is that life is a joke and can be snatched away at any moment.

Nightmares in Face Paint: Why We’ll Always Be Afraid of Clowns |Oliver Jones |October 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And the subtext to that remark, just in case you missed it, is: and neither should he!

How the Queen ‘Purred’ With Pleasure at Scottish Referendum Result |Tom Sykes |September 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But the subtext here is that many commentators and officeholders need targets.

Trash Talk Returns as Pols, Pundits Point Fingers Over Boston Bombing |Howard Kurtz |April 24, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
There is often a subtext to this correspondence of literary lions.

Joseph Roth’s Letters Reveal a Great Forgotten Writer |Anthony Heilbut |February 10, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

The subtext here suggests that if a guy as unkempt as Rogen tends to his hair down there, so should every other American bro.

Why 'Manscaping' Isn't Just for Porn Stars Anymore |Lizzie Crocker |December 29, 2011 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for subtext

subtext

/ (ˈsʌbˌtɛkst) /

noun

an underlying theme in a piece of writing

a message which is not stated directly but can be inferred