Metadiegetic
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˌmɛt.ə.daɪ.ɪˈd͡ʒɛt.ɪk/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Metadiegetic is an adjective meaning (narratology) Pertaining to a secondary narrative embedded within the primary narrative (a story within a story).
Meaning
(narratology) Pertaining to a secondary narrative embedded within the primary narrative (a story within a story).
Example Sentences
A particularly striking example appears in Hawthorne's next romance, The House of the Seven Gables, in which Chapter 13 consists entirely of a metadiegetic narrative entitled "Alice Pyncheon," composed and read by the diegetic character Holgrave.
Sound effects are often enlisted to externalize a characters' inner thoughts, nightmares, hallucinations, dreams, or wishes. We might hear, for example, the laughter of a child as a woman picks up a doll from childhood. This gives the scene a surreal feeling. This effect is often called meta-diegetic.
Synonyms for metadiegetic
Depending on context, synonyms include hypodiegetic.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include hypodiegetic, intradiegetic, extradiegetic, metatextual, intervenient, interadditive.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
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