mono

[ mon-oh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Informal.

infectious mononucleosis.

mono

[ mon-oh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

monophonic ( def 2 ).

mono-

a combining form meaning “alone,” “single,” “one” ( monogamy ); specialized in some scientific terms to denote a monomolecular thickness ( monolayer ) and adapted in chemistry to apply to compounds containing one atom of a particular element ( monohydrate ).

mono

/ ˈmɒnəʊ /

adjective

short for monophonic

noun

monophonic sound; monophony

mono-

combining_form

one; single
monorail
monochrome
indicating that a chemical compound contains a single specified atom or group
monoxide

mono–

A prefix that means “one, only, single,” as in monochromatic, having only one color. It is often found in chemical names where it means “containing just one” of the specified atom or group, as in carbon monoxide, which is carbon attached to a single oxygen atom.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mono¹

By shortening

Origin of mono²

By shortening

Origin of mono³

From Greek, combining form of mónos “alone”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mono¹

from Greek monos

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Example Sentences

The notion of an acute housing shortage in this wild and sparsely populated region — there are about four people per square mile in Mono County and fewer than two per square mile in neighboring Inyo County — can be hard to wrap your head around.

From Los Angeles Times

On Mono Lake in California, where a quarter of the world’s population of California gulls live, climate change-induced droughts are lowering water levels and making it easier for predators to get onto nesting islands where they’ll eat eggs and chicks.

From Salon

Southern California Edison, which provides power to about 15 million people in the Southland, had cut power for about 2,000 customers across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono counties as of Friday morning “due to heightened wildfire risk,” the company reported.

From Los Angeles Times

Cut for vinyl from the original master tapes, the records that comprise "The Beatles: 1964 US Albums in Mono" box set will be a welcome addition for audiophiles, who will revel in the overall dynamics and sound quality inherent in the new pressings.

From Salon

An upcoming box set to be released in November, entitled "The Beatles: 1964 US Albums in Mono," celebrates Beatlemania’s incredible onslaught on American shores.

From Salon

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Words That Use Mono-

What does mono- mean?

Mono- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “alone, singular, one.” It is used in a great many technical and scientific terms, including in chemistry, where it refers to compounds containing one atom of a particular element.

Mono- comes from the Greek mónos, meaning “alone.”

What are variants of mono-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, mono- becomes mon-, as in monacid.

Examples of mono-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features mono- is monolith, “an obelisk, column, large statue, etc., formed of a single block of stone.” The word comes from the Greek monólithos, which uses the equivalent of the form mono-.

We know mono- means “one,” so what about the -lith portion of the word? That’s right, -lith refers to “stone,” from the Greek líthos. Monolith literally translates to “single stone.”

What are some words that use the combining form mono-?

The following words use the equivalent forms of mono- in Latin or Greek:

What are some other forms that mono- may be commonly confused with?

Not every word that begins with the exact letters mono- or mon- is necessarily using the combining form mono- to denote “one,” e.g., monitor and monumental. Learn more about the Latin root of these words at our entries for them.

Break it down!

The combining form -cracy means “rule by” or “government.” How many people or parties run a monocracy, also known as an autocracy?

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