Trivia Time

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

Test Your Knowledge

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.

---

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

---

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

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

That means the monologue was deemed worthy of airing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Oh wait, Gillis did say in his monologue that he feels most comfortable working out in “his friend Joe Rogan‘s private gym.”

From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2026

“I had an audition for a university, actually, where they threw chairs in front of me while I did the monologue and made me climb over the chairs,” Moore says, laughing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

June’s keeping her monologue a secret until auditions.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

But those monologues are still reviewed and vetted like other material on the show and performed as part of a dress rehearsal before the live show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

This was despite the fact that Gillis’ track record of problematic, punching-down monologues spoke for itself.

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

My father would read to me from the great monologues during the long wagon rides between towns.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---