diegetic
adjective
di·e·get·ic
ˌdī-ə-ˈje-tik 
: of or relating to diegesis
One of the primary qualities of those texts we understand as fiction is that they generate a diegetic order that has an astonishing independence from its text.—
Robert Scholes
Robert Scholes
especially
: existing or occurring within the world of a narrative rather than as something external to that world
What the film does do, though, to really wonderful effect, is synchronize diegetic sounds—gunshots, explosions, tires screeching, windshield wipers wiping, engines revving, etc.—with its non-diegetic pop soundtrack. —David Hollingshead
David Hollingshead Music is integral to the world of Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, but it is also incidental, experienced only as part of the action. The remarkable 2018 film contains only diegetic uses of music; no song is ever superimposed over the deliberately paced action that takes place in Mexico City's Colonia Roma neighborhood at the dawn of the 1970s. —Philip Sherburne
Philip Sherburne The writer … pointed out the director's use of diegetic music. We, as viewers, only hear music when a character in the world of the story hears music. This happens when they put in earphones, turn on a car stereo or play a record. —Emily Ellot
Emily Ellot Examples of diegetic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The film uses primarily diegetic music – music characters can hear in the film also – rather than a traditional score.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Gemmill agrees and adds that it was also meant to blur the line between diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
—Jeremy D. Larson, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2025
Since much of that action takes place in clubs where dancing was primordial, the show can incorporate diegetic numbers that set your heart racing.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025
However, operatic sequences that occur in-game, featuring diegetic songs (meaning that both the player and the characters are supposed to hear them as songs), have become a more common occurrence.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Jan. 2025
Because music is so central to the plot, Kern and Hammerstein also wrote crucial diegetic songs.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
In the adaptation, the images of space exploration are not diegetic but spliced into the film itself, as the movie abandons the first person.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
Even committed realists can work within the musical genre, with an entirely diegetic score and a narrative framed around a concert or a performance.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Anchored by its intricate sound design, which expertly blends score, diegetic sound and the thoughtful use of aural perspective, the series rejects potboiler rhythms in favor of a foreboding psychological chill.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
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Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Gemmill agrees and adds that it was also meant to blur the line between diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
—Jeremy D. Larson, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2025
Since much of that action takes place in clubs where dancing was primordial, the show can incorporate diegetic numbers that set your heart racing.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025
However, operatic sequences that occur in-game, featuring diegetic songs (meaning that both the player and the characters are supposed to hear them as songs), have become a more common occurrence.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Jan. 2025
Because music is so central to the plot, Kern and Hammerstein also wrote crucial diegetic songs.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
In the adaptation, the images of space exploration are not diegetic but spliced into the film itself, as the movie abandons the first person.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
Even committed realists can work within the musical genre, with an entirely diegetic score and a narrative framed around a concert or a performance.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Anchored by its intricate sound design, which expertly blends score, diegetic sound and the thoughtful use of aural perspective, the series rejects potboiler rhythms in favor of a foreboding psychological chill.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Diegetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diegetic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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