Meaning & use
non-diegetic
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
In film, describes sound or music that the characters cannot hear, added for the audience.
Grammar: Used before a noun: non-diegetic music. It can also follow a linking verb: the music is non-diegetic.
Patterns
- non-diegetic music
- non-diegetic sound
- non-diegetic voice-over
The tense non-diegetic music tells the audience that danger is near.
A non-diegetic voice-over explains the character's past.
In the opening scene, the non-diegetic sound creates a sad mood.
Common combinations
- non-diegetic music
- The director used non-diegetic music to build suspense.
- non-diegetic sound
- Non-diegetic sound includes the narrator's voice and the score.
- non-diegetic voice-over
- A non-diegetic voice-over guides the viewer through the story.
Synonyms and how they differ
- extradiegetic
- Extradiegetic is a related but rarer term, sometimes used for a narrator outside the story world; non-diegetic is the standard term for sound the characters cannot hear.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: non-diegetic or diegetic?
non-diegetic vs diegetic
Diegetic means the characters can hear the sound, such as a radio playing in a scene. Non-diegetic means only the audience hears it, such as the film score.
Practice
The characters in the film cannot hear the sad piano music, so it is ______.
Choose one answer.
Non-diegetic fits because the music is only for the audience and not heard by the characters. Diegetic is the opposite, while nondescript means ordinary-looking and noncommittal means not giving a clear opinion.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-diegetic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.