Make Your Point: SUBTEXT

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pronounce SUBTEXT:

SUB text

connect this word to others:

As we saw when we studied the word pretext, at the heart of words like pretext, text, textiles, context, and subtext is the Latin texere, meaning "to weave, to build, to construct."

A subtext is, in the most literal sense, something "woven beneath or below" the main text. It's almost identical, etymologically, to the word subtle, which also literally means "woven beneath."

Synonyms for subtext include undertones, connotations, and im____ations ("things that are said or expressed in a hidden or indirect way, as if folded in").

To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.

definition:

"Subtext" literally means "something created or written that's underneath the main part." We've used it in English since the 1600s, at first to describe any text that was written below the main text on the same page.

But starting around the 1950s, it became popular to talk about the subtext of a play: the story beneath the main story, the underlayer of meaning revealed not by what the characters say but how they say it, how they physically move around, and what ideas or patterns seem to weave or thread their way underneath all that talking.

So, when a play, a story, a speech, a conversation, or some other thing has a subtext, it has some theme or other information that is hinted at, but not written out clearly, as if it's been woven underneath everything that's spoken on the surface.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

It's a noun.

It can be countable: "A book suddenly came alive with a subtext."

And it can be uncountable: "In tenth grade, I suddenly opened my eyes to subtext."

Other forms:

We hardly ever use the plural noun, but if you need it, it's "subtexts."

The adjective is "subtextual," and the adverb, "subtextually."

how to use it:

Pick the formal, semi-common, literary word "subtext" to describe an underlying meaning.

For example, you might talk about the subtext beneath a song, which could involve the emotion, culture, and backstory swirling underneath the song's simple lyrics. Or, you might talk about a book's subtext, or a short story's subtext, which could involve historical parallels and timeless themes that don't show up directly in the narration or the dialogue

Or, you could complain (or celebrate) the fact that there is no subtext in some situation or creation: that all the meaning is right there on the surface. For example, I don't think there's much subtext in To Kill A Mockingbird; the characters talk very openly about the themes.

examples:

"[Tom Shale's] greatest legacy is how he championed television... The subtext of so much of his early writing was an argument for the potential of television as art, comfort, cure for loneliness, creator of meaning."
— Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 17 January 2024

"[Sean Plott's] work ethic is the subtext for much of our conversation: he tells me how, when a child, he wanted to be funny so would memorise 20 jokes a day to repeat at school. When he wanted to get good at public speaking, he started doing it at every opportunity."
— Rich Stanton, The Guardian, 25 July 2013

has this page helped you understand "subtext"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

study it:

Explain the meaning of "subtext" without saying "deeper meaning" or "underlying theme."

try it out:

The actress Ambika Mod, who starred in a romantic drama based on a book called One Day, said: "When writing is really good, it’s always about subtext; it’s always about what’s not being said."

Talk about whether or not you agree with her. If it depends, what does it depend on?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Alliterate a Little; It'll Lift It."

I'll give you a phrase that doesn't alliterate, and you'll make it alliterate by changing one or both words—while preserving, as best you can, the meaning of the original.

For example: A car that demands too much fuel is a "gas guzzler." But what alliterative term could you invent for a dishwasher that demands too much detergent?

You could call it a "soap slurper," or a "detergent devourer."

Try this one today...

Maybe you're a "weekend warrior," getting in your physical activity only on Saturdays and Sundays. But, what alliterative term could you invent for a "couch potato," someone who barely does any physical activity?

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The near opposite of a SUBTEXT could be

A. a highly subtle ALLEGORY.
B. a gory and violent EPIC POEM.
C. the openly stated MORAL of a fable.

2. A writer for the Wall Street Journal said that the subtext of a show called Murder in Glitterball City is "_____."

A. gritty yet tender
B. An American Sideshow
C. that Satan will always find a way, regardless of property values

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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