expression, noun
subtext; implication; connotation; implicit meaning; between the lines
Refers to the meaning that is not stated directly but is understood from context, tone, or implication. Often used when discussing what someone really means beyond their literal words.
彼の言葉の言外の意味を読み取るのは難しかった。
It was difficult to read the subtext of his words.
その発言には言外の意味が含まれているように感じた。
I felt that the remark carried an implicit meaning.
Compound of 言外 (げんがい, 'unspoken, beyond words') and 意味 (いみ, 'meaning'). The phrase is a straightforward combination of these elements.