mono

Mono- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “alone, singular, one.” It is used in a great many technical and scientific terms, including in chemistry, where it refers to compounds containing one atom of a particular element.

Mono- comes from the Greek mónos, meaning “alone.”

What are variants of mono-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, mono- becomes mon-, as in monacid.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features mono- is monolith, “an obelisk, column, large statue, etc., formed of a single block of stone.” The word comes from the Greek monólithos, which uses the equivalent of the form mono-.

We know mono- means “one,” so what about the -lith portion of the word? That’s right, -lith refers to “stone,” from the Greek líthos. Monolith literally translates to “single stone.”

What are some words that use the combining form mono-?

• monoacid
• monobath
• monoblast
• monocyte
• monocracy
• monodrama
• monodactyly
• monofilament
• monolatry
• mononym
• mononucleosis
• monoplane
• monorail
• monograph
• monohybrid
• monostome
• monotheism

The following words use the equivalent forms of mono- in Latin or Greek:

• monocotyledon
• monochord
• monogamy
• monogram
• monology
• monologue
• monomania
• monometer
• monotone
• monotony

What are some other forms that mono- may be commonly confused with?

• meno-
• mero-
• nano-
• nomo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters mono- or mon- is necessarily using the combining form mono- to denote “one,” e.g., monitor and monumental. Learn more about the Latin root of these words at our entries for them.

The combining form -cracy means “rule by” or “government.” How many people or parties run a monocracy, also known as an autocracy?