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.
[1] The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "an underlying and often distinct theme in a conversation, piece of writing, etc.
[3] These definitions highlight that subtext involves themes or messages that are not directly conveyed, but can be inferred.
A meaning stated explicitly is, by definition not subtext (for lack of hiding), and writers may be criticized for failure artfully to create and use subtext;[citation needed] such works may be faulted as too "on the nose", with the characters meaning what they literally have said, undermining dramatic tension, and leaving the work too prosaic.
[4] Subtext also may be included in the action of narratives, with secondary themes expressed in order to appeal to a general audience.