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monaural

American  
[mon-awr-uhl] / mɒnˈɔr əl /

adjective

  1. monophonic.

  2. of, relating to, or affecting one ear.


monaural British  
/ mɒˈnɔːrəl /

adjective

  1. relating to, having, or hearing with only one ear

  2. another word for monophonic

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of monaural

First recorded in 1885–90; mon- + aural 1

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.

See Examples For:

At Columbia, Davis decided to sell both versions of the albums at the higher stereo price, $4.79, helping lead to the demise of monaural records.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 22, 2026

He was fond of comparing his recordings to Wagnerian opera, his arrangements and mixes painstakingly crafted to explode out of transistor radios and monaural 45s with astonishing dramatic impact.

From Slate Jan. 18, 2021

In addition to those original 10 mono titles, there's a three-LP set featuring singles and other monaural tracks that did not appear on the studio albums.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 9, 2014

The effect was very "analog." It reminded me of switching channels on a monaural, pushbutton car radio, or watching a theatrical documentary shot on film.

From Salon May 23, 2011

One was to develop a cartridge and stylus that would play both straight monaural records and stereo records.

From Time Magazine Archive

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