Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

subtext

[suhb-tekst]

Origin

noun

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

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

Related forms

sub·tex·tu·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To subtext

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Subtext is always a great word to know.

So is slumgullion. Does it mean:

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

subtext (ˈsʌbˌtɛkst)

—n
1.	an underlying theme in a piece of writing
2.	a message which is not stated directly but can be inferred

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

subtext

"underlying theme of a work of literature, 1950, from sub- + text. Originally a term in Konstantin Stanislavsky's theory of acting. Earlier it was used in a lit. sense of "text appearing below other text on a page" (1726).

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for subtext?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

Matching Quote

"God bless the physician who warms the speculum or holds your hand and looks into your eyes. Perhaps one subtext of the health care debate is a yen to be treated like a whole person, not just an eye, an ear, a nose or a throat. A yen to be human again, on the part of patient and doctor alike."

-Anna Quindlen

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help

subtext

sub·text