noun · academic
subtext
/ˈsʌbˌtɛkst/SUB·text
an underlying or implicit theme or meaning in a text, film, or performance
Examples
“The play's humour masks a darker political subtext.”
“Many reviewers ignored the subtext about gender roles.”
“A careful reading reveals a subtext of nostalgia throughout the novel.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although the plot is comic, the film's subtext interrogates economic inequality with surprising subtlety.”
Collocations
- political subtext
- underlying subtext
Word family
Common mistakes
She found subtext in story.→She found a subtext in the story.
There were many subtext in the play.→There were many subtexts in the play.
Say it for a higher band
5hidden meaning→6underlying theme→7+subtext
Synonyms
undertone
Easily confused
undertone
“Despite the optimistic dialogue, an undertone of anxiety is present.”
Related words
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In Art & Culture
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