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  

/ məˈnɒləɡɪst, mɒˈnɒlədʒɪ, ˈmɒnəˌlɒɡɪst, ˌmɒnəˈlɒdʒɪk, 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

Etymology

Origin of monologue

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

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

Years later, when “SNL” developed its opening monologue, it served a similar purpose.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

“Our founding fathers drafted a charter to guarantee the rule of law and the rights of man,” says Obama in an introductory monologue.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

After a dizzying cascade of revelations about his background, he delivers an exceptionally revealing monologue that strikes some late and very welcome grace notes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Olsen: You recently hosted the new “SNL UK” and in your monologue, you made this joke that you don’t just play intense roles, that there’s this image of you that it’s all that you do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

I mean, I don’t know if Tats is silent because she’s pondering it, but she does stop the monologue to stare intensely at me.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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

So when I read it, I was like, “Oh, OK. That’s like those five-page monologues that you don’t get very often to do for one character in one episode.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 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

It’s no surprise that Donald Trump dominated Colbert’s monologues by a wide margin, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the show’s transcripts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Slowly, he was easing back into his monologues about Nigeria.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

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