monotonically

[ mon-uh-ton-ik-lee ]

adverb

1. in a monotone; without varying the pitch or expression of one’s voice:

   A bubbly “So I had the job interview!” conveys one thing, while the same words said monotonically and hesitantly convey the opposite.

2. Mathematics. (of a function or sequence) in such a way as to generate progressively higher or lower values consistently, with no reversal:

   Show that x3 – 3x2 + 3x + 2 is monotonically increasing in every interval.

Word History and Origins

Origin of monotonically¹

monotonic ( def ) + -ally ( def )

Example Sentences

“The simplest message is sleep deprivation is bad, but that doesn’t mean that sleep is monotonically good,” he said.

From New York Times

“The simplest message is sleep deprivation is bad, but that doesn’t mean that sleep is monotonically good,” he said.

From New York Times

"As for the fact that the densities are not monotonically decreasing as you move away from the star, we don't really have a convincing explanation yet."

From Salon

These characters yield a number of snaking plotlines, but Elisabeth’s voice takes over the narrative, and is so consistently, monotonically disdainful that one wishes less time could be devoted to these extraneous stories and more to the endlessly complicated — and ultimately doomed — relationship between her and Sam, which is ripe with unexplored fodder.

From New York Times

“Please open your system preferences and click on the lock icon,” the proctor said monotonically.

From The Verge