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In ancient Greek theater, what did the word monologue originally describe?

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monologue

American  

[mon-uh-lawg, -log] / ˈmɒn əˌlɔg, -ˌlɒg /

Or monolog

noun

• monologues
  plural

1. a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker.

   a comedian's monologue.

2. a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.

3. any composition, as a poem, in which a single person speaks alone.

4. a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.

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monologue British  

/ ˈmɒnəˌlɒɡ /

noun

1. a long speech made by one actor in a play, film, etc, esp when alone

2. a dramatic piece for a single performer

3. any long speech by one person, esp when interfering with conversation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• monologist
  noun
• monologuist
  noun
• monology
  noun
• monologic
  adjective
• monological
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monologues
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of monologue

1615–25; < French, on the model of dialogue dialogue; compare Greek monólogos speaking alone

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Explanation

A monologue is a speech delivered by one person, or a long one-sided conversation that makes you want to pull your hair out from boredom. The Greek root word monologos translates to “speaking alone,” and that’s a monologue: one person doing all the talking. In theatre, sometimes a character has a monologue that they perform. You might have an internal monologue where you talk to yourself to better understand some dilemma. Some people talk forever in a constant monologue, never letting you speak. If two people talk back and forth, it’s a dialogue, which is different and probably more fun for everyone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monologue monologues

Maher prodded Trump in a monologue last Friday after attending a White House dinner alongside Kid Rock and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

In the hilarious opening monologue Argan sits coddled in his chair—sort of a baroque Barcalounger—going over his treatments and the hefty prices charged for them by his “primary care physician,” Dr. Purgon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Weeks before Serbia's highly anticipated election, Zoran Kesic, the country's star late-night talk show host, opened his monologue with a stark warning.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

But she cited her earlier performance as Muriel in Alan Bennett's monologue Soldiering On, as one of her proudest moments.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Wayne, who performed a monologue from August Wilson’s Fences, wins the top honor and a grant of $500.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Toward the end of the night he monologues toward his cameras with a noticeable quiver in his voice.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

Those monologues aren’t on cue cards; the comedians are trusted to do their thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

You can’t really blame them if their response to the self-absorbed internal monologues of an unreliable narrator is, Oh, boo hoo.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

On one weekend in Tokyo, hundreds of visitors flocked to a zine fair showcasing a wide range of handmade magazines in different sizes and formats -- some incorporating abstract designs, photography or personal monologues.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

With a few significant exceptions, what has been occurring for decades, even for a century or more, has not been a dialogue on race, but any number of simultaneous monologues on the subject.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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Related Words

• discourse
• harangue
• lecture
• sermon
• soliloquy
• speech

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