monad

American  

[mon-ad, moh-nad] / ˈmɒn æd, ˈmoʊ næd /

noun

1. Biology.

   1. any simple, single-celled organism.

   2. any of various small, flagellate, colorless ameboids with one to three flagella, especially of the genus Monas.

2. Chemistry. an element, atom, or group having a valence of one.

3. Philosophy.

   1. (in the metaphysics of Leibniz) an unextended, indivisible, and indestructible entity that is the basic or ultimate constituent of the universe and a microcosm of it.

   2. (in the philosophy of Giordano Bruno) a basic and irreducible metaphysical unit that is spatially and psychically individuated.

   3. any basic metaphysical entity, especially having an autonomous life.

4. a single unit or entity.

---

monad British  

/ ˈmɒnæd, ˈməʊ- /

noun

1. philosophy

   1. any fundamental singular metaphysical entity, esp if autonomous

   2. (in the metaphysics of Leibnitz) a simple indestructible nonspatial element regarded as the unit of which reality consists

   3. (in the pantheistic philosophy of Giordano Bruno) a fundamental metaphysical unit that is spatially extended and psychically aware

2. a single-celled organism, esp a flagellate protozoan

3. an atom, ion, or radical with a valency of one

---

Other Word Forms

• monadal adjective
• monadic adjective
• monadical adjective
• monadically adverb

Etymology

Origin of monad

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin monad- (stem of monas), from Greek monás (stem monád- ) “unity, monad”; mon-, -ad ¹

Example Sentences

In my mind, it was evident before the appearance of COVID-19 that we are fundamentally “monads” as envisioned by the philosopher Gottfried Leibniz, despite illusive notions of empowerment that stem from groupthink.

From Scientific American

The second step is to refuse to be a monad.

From Seattle Times

A system that treats them as mechanical monads is inhumane.

From The New Yorker

Everything that exists, he believed, is made up of units called monads, and these monads have absolutely no way of impinging on or communicating with one another—Leibniz referred to them as “windowless.”

From The New Yorker

Words jostle up against each other -- they become gluey objects that form little clusters, super-sticky monads.

From Los Angeles Times