Subtext
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Subtext is a noun meaning (literature) The implicit meaning of a text, often a literary one, or a speech or dialogue.
Meaning
(literature) The implicit meaning of a text, often a literary one, or a speech or dialogue.
More Meanings
- To create or use a subtext.
Example Sentences
Everyone heard the announcement, but not everyone agrees on what the subtext was.
While his major plays appear on the surface to have little plot, their subtext is full of overheated romance and melodrama.
The word dick has meant penis since the 1890s, but Chester Gould’s private detective “Dick Tracy” has no puerile subtext related to this word.
Subtexting is the technique that every author needs to know in order to create dialogue that is rich in meaning while sounding natural, for in real life, this is the way people often converse.
Word Forms
- subtexts
- subtexting
- subtexted
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include connotation, aspect, addition, argument, flavour, undertone.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.