Subplot Meaning
/ˈsʌb.plɒt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA plot within a story, subsidiary to the main plot.
nounA subdivision of a plot of land, especially one used for an agricultural experiment.
Sentence Examples
Chapter five focused on the romantic subplot of the novel.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The author included a clever ____ about the missing heirloom alongside the main story.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The interesting ____ in the movie detailed the secret romance between two of the minor characters.
Word Origin & History
From sub- + plot.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Structurally, the two most variant scenes (outside of Scene ii) are Scenes 3 and 4 in which the compiler works out the variant subplot."
— 1998, Stephen Roy Miller, The Taming of a Shrew: the 1594 quarto:
"In a sense, Superman's romance with Lois Lane was a subplot and [...]"
— 2001, Dennis O'Neil, The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics:
"[...] on sixteen 8/10-acre plots (12.8 acres) well distributed over the area. [...] A 1/160-acre subplot was established in a randomly chosen corner of each [...]"
— 1996, The American Midland Naturalist, the University of Notre Dame:
"In the pictures of places, too, an author uses economy; and for his plot, complicated and subplotted as it may seem, he cannot count on having vast stretches of eternity in which to elaborate forever."
— 1965, Percival Hunt, The Gift of the Unicorn: Essays on Writing, page 70:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The author included a clever ____ about the missing heirloom alongside the main story.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The interesting ____ in the movie detailed the secret romance between two of the minor characters.