Editing Subtext (section)

{{short description|Aspect of communication that is not explicitly announced}}
{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2013}}

In any communication, in any medium or format, "'''subtext'''" is the underlying or implicit meaning that, while not explicitly stated, is understood by an audience.<ref>
{{cite book
|title=The Subtle Subtext: Hidden Meanings in Literature and Life
|last=Pernot
|first=Laurent
|author-link=:fr:Laurent Pernot (helléniste)
|translator-last=Higgins
|translator-first=W. E.
|date=2021
|orig-date=2018
|chapter=Preface
|pages=vii-x
|location=University Park, Pennsylvania
|publisher=[[Penn State University Press]]
|isbn=978-0-271-09197-6
}}</ref> 

The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] defines it as "an underlying and often distinct theme in a conversation, piece of writing, etc.",<ref>
{{cite encyclopedia
|title=Subtext, N., Sense 2 
|encyclopedia=Oxford English Dictionary 
|date=July 2023 
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|doi=10.1093/OED/5646349087 
|url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/subtext_n?tab=meaning_and_use#20129468
|url-access=subscription
|access-date=22 May 2024
}}</ref> while according to [[Merriam-Webster]], subtext is "the implicit or metaphorical meaning (as of a literary text)".<ref>
{{cite encyclopedia
|title=subtext noun 
|encyclopedia=Merriam-Webster 
|date=15 May 2024
|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtext
|access-date=22 May 2024
}}</ref> 

These definitions highlight that subtext involves themes or messages that are not directly conveyed, but can be inferred.