monochromatic
Americanadjective
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of or having one color.
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of, relating to, or having tones of one color in addition to the ground hue.
monochromatic pottery.
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Optics. pertaining to light of one color or to radiation of a single wavelength or narrow range of wavelengths.
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Ophthalmology. of or relating to monochromatism.
adjective
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Also: homochromatic. (of light or other electromagnetic radiation) having only one wavelength
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physics (of moving particles) having only one kinetic energy
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of or relating to monochromatism
noun
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Consisting of a single wavelength of light or other radiation. Lasers, for example, usually produce monochromatic light.
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Having or appearing to have only one color.
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Compare polychromatic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monochromatic
Explanation
If everything in your room is pink, your room is monochromatic — all of one color. In physics, monochromatic describes light that has the same wavelength, so it is one color. Broken into Greek roots, the word shows its meaning: monos means "one," and khroma means "color." Things that are truly monochromatic are rare — examine the green leaves of trees, and you'll see lots of different shades.
Vocabulary lists containing monochromatic
Visual Arts - High School
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Visual Arts - Middle School
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The Night Circus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Monochromatic tone serves the gothic in a way that isn't heavy-handed.
From Salon • Jan. 6, 2023
Monochromatic gourds placed at differing sight levels move your eye throughout the entire piece while complementing the neutral elements that were already at play.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 2022
Monochromatic simplifications of this type suit multiple purposes.
From The Guardian • Jun. 18, 2019
Monochromatic or polychromatic, “it’s all in the combination,” Eiseman says.
From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2016
Monochromatic light is utilized in photo-micrography for the best rendition of detail.
From Artificial Light Its Influence upon Civilization by Luckiesh, Matthew
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
