subtext
noun
sub·text ˈsəb-ˌtekst 
: the implicit or metaphorical meaning (as of a literary text)
subtextual
ˌsəb-ˈteks-chə-wəl
adjective -chəl
subtextually adverb
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A literary text often has more than one meaning: the literal meaning of the words on the page, and their hidden meaning, what exists "between the lines"—the subtext. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, for example, is about the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century, but its subtext is the comparison of those trials with the "witch hunts" of the 1950s, when many people were unfairly accused of being communists. Even a social conversation between a man and a woman may have a subtext, but you may have to listen very closely to figure out what it is. Don't confuse subtext with subplot, a less important plot that moves along in parallel with the main plot.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web At best, there’s a danger of almost immediate narrative obsolescence; at worst, a subtext of personal grievance. 
Mary Mcnamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2022 Oh, and a subtext about how families—both biological and otherwise—deal with trauma. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2021 Kimye’s rewriting of some common cultural scripts about family might have felt like a political act, but their mission also came with a clear subtext: commerce. M. J. Corey, The New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2022 With the combined efforts of AI and visual effects through PLATO, the subtext of the original performance is maintained. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Aug. 2022 Top Gun: Maverick, whose subtext is about how Hollywood failed so severely to nurture a new generation of movie stars that Cruise had to get off the bench and save the industry, is a fitting finale to his action hero days. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 This being a Peele endeavor, the historical snub is used as canny subtext. Wired, 28 July 2022 But the political subtext of those films some have found troubling. Jake Coyle, ajc, 20 July 2022 No mention of the breakup was in the video, but the text — and subtext — was all in its caption. Nardine Saadstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2022 See More
Mary Mcnamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2022 Oh, and a subtext about how families—both biological and otherwise—deal with trauma. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2021 Kimye’s rewriting of some common cultural scripts about family might have felt like a political act, but their mission also came with a clear subtext: commerce. M. J. Corey, The New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2022 With the combined efforts of AI and visual effects through PLATO, the subtext of the original performance is maintained. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Aug. 2022 Top Gun: Maverick, whose subtext is about how Hollywood failed so severely to nurture a new generation of movie stars that Cruise had to get off the bench and save the industry, is a fitting finale to his action hero days. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 This being a Peele endeavor, the historical snub is used as canny subtext. Wired, 28 July 2022 But the political subtext of those films some have found troubling. Jake Coyle, ajc, 20 July 2022 No mention of the breakup was in the video, but the text — and subtext — was all in its caption. Nardine Saadstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1862, in the meaning defined above