monad

[ mon-ad, moh-nad ]

/ ˈmɒn æd, ˈmoʊ næd /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for monad on Thesaurus.com

noun

Biology.

any simple, single-celled organism.
any of various small, flagellate, colorless ameboids with one to three flagella, especially of the genus Monas.

Chemistry. an element, atom, or group having a valence of one.Compare dyad (def. 3), triad (def. 2a).

Philosophy.

(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.
(in the philosophy of Giordano Bruno) a basic and irreducible metaphysical unit that is spatially and psychically individuated.
any basic metaphysical entity, especially having an autonomous life.

a single unit or entity.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of monad

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin monad- (stem of monas), from Greek monás (stem monád- ) “unity, monad”; see mon-, -ad¹

OTHER WORDS FROM monad

mo·nad·ic

[muh-nad-ik], /məˈnæd ɪk/, mo·nad·i·cal, mo·nad·al, adjectivemo·nad·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby monad

monachal, monachism, monacid, monacillo, Monaco, monad, monadelphous, monades, monadic, monadism, monadnock

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use monad in a sentence

The me is a monad, that is, an indivisible unity; of this there can be no doubt.
Fundamental Philosophy, Vol. I (of 2)|Jaime Luciano Balmes
From the monad proceeds an indefinite duad, which is subordinate to the monad as to its cause.
A History of Science, Volume 1(of 5)|Henry Smith Williams
Genius watches the monad through all his masks as he performs the metempsychosis of nature.
Essays, First Series|Ralph Waldo Emerson
In short, each monad is a little Leibniz for ever increasing the sum of its knowledge.
History of Modern Philosophy|Alfred William Benn

All this carbon has played its part, and many parts in its time, as animal existences from monad up to man.
Mistakes of Moses|Robert G. Ingersoll

British Dictionary definitions for monad

monad

/ (ˈmɒnæd, ˈməʊ-) /

noun

plural -ads or -ades (-əˌdiːz) philosophy

any fundamental singular metaphysical entity, esp if autonomous
(in the metaphysics of Leibnitz) a simple indestructible nonspatial element regarded as the unit of which reality consists
(in the pantheistic philosophy of Giordano Bruno) a fundamental metaphysical unit that is spatially extended and psychically aware

a single-celled organism, esp a flagellate protozoan

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

Also called (for senses 1, 2): monas

Derived forms of monad

monadical, adjectivemonadically, adverb

Word Origin for monad

C17: from Late Latin monas, from Greek: unit, from monos alone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for monad

monad

[ mō′năd′ ]

An atom or a radical with a valence of 1.

A single-celled microorganism, especially a protozoan of the genus Monas.

Any of the four chromatids of a tetrad that, after the first and second meiotic divisions, separate to become the chromosomal material in each of the four daughter cells.

Other words from monad

mo•nad′ic (mə-năd′ik) null adj.

monad

Origin of monad

OTHER WORDS FROM monad

Words nearby monad

Words related to monad

How to use monad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monad

Derived forms of monad

Word Origin for monad

Medical definitions for monad

Other words from monad