Nondiegetic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to elements such as sounds or music in a narrative that are not part of the story world itself; existing outside the characters' awareness or environment; functioning as external narration or commentary
2. Describing aspects like background scores or voice-overs in a film or story that do not originate from within the depicted world; perceived only by the audience and not by characters; serving to enhance mood or provide context
3. Related to components that lie outside the internal reality of a story, such as a soundtrack or narratorial voice unheard by characters; appearing as an external addition to the plot; contributing to the viewer's or reader’s experience independent of the diegetic space

Etymology: "Nondiegetic" is built from the prefix "non-", meaning "not", attached to "diegetic". The second part is the more interesting one. "Diegetic" comes from "diegesis", a Greek word meaning "narration" or "recital", from "diēgeisthai", "to narrate in detail". In modern usage the term belongs to film and media studies, where it describes whatever exists within the fictional world of a story, such as characters, the setting, or sounds the characters themselves can hear. Putting "non-" in front reverses that boundary. A nondiegetic element sits outside the story world: a film's background score that the characters never hear, or a narrator's voice-over that stands apart from the action. The audience perceives these elements, but the people inside the fiction do not. The distinction between diegetic and nondiegetic sound became a standard tool for film critics, who needed a precise way to separate what belongs to the story from what is added for the viewer.

Synonyms: extradiegetic, non-diegetic

Antonyms: diegetic