diegetic

Diegetic is a term used in narrative media to describe elements that originate from the fictional world of the story. The concept contrasts with non-diegetic elements, which come from outside that world and are not part of the characters’ reality. The term derives from diegesis, Greek for “narration” or “fact of the story,” and is applied across film, television, theater, animation, and increasingly video games.

In practice, diegetic sound and content are those that a character within the story could reasonably perceive. Diegetic sound includes dialogue between characters, footsteps, weather, and sounds produced by objects in the scene (such as a radio playing, a door shutting, or rain hitting a window). Diegetic music emanates from a source visible or implied within the story world, such as a band on stage or a record player in a room. By contrast, non-diegetic sound is heard by the audience but not by the characters within the world, such as the film’s score, a narrator’s commentary, or mood cues added in post-production.

The distinction also informs storytelling choices in other media. In theater and cinema, directors use diegetic and non-diegetic elements to control realism and immersion. In video games, diegetic elements include in-world displays and interfaces that exist within the game world, while non-diegetic UI appears as overlays or HUDs that characters cannot interact with as part of the world.