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• mono
  mono

  noun

  infectious mononucleosis.
• mono-
  mono-

  a combining form meaning “alone,” “single,” “one” (monogamy ); specialized in some scientific terms to denote a monomolecular thickness (monolayer ) and adapted in chemistry to apply to compounds containing one atom of a particular element (monohydrate ).
• mono–
  mono–

  A prefix that means “one, only, single,” as in monochromatic, having only one color. It is often found in chemical names where it means “containing just one” of the specified atom or group, as in carbon monoxide, which is carbon attached to a single oxygen atom.

mono

¹ American  

[mon-oh] / ˈmɒn oʊ /

noun

Informal.

monos plural

1. infectious mononucleosis.

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mono ² American  

[mon-oh] / ˈmɒn oʊ /

adjective

1. monophonic.

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mono- ³ American  

especially before a vowel, mon-

1. a combining form meaning “alone,” “single,” “one” (monogamy ); specialized in some scientific terms to denote a monomolecular thickness (monolayer ) and adapted in chemistry to apply to compounds containing one atom of a particular element (monohydrate ).

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mono ¹ British  

/ ˈmɒnəʊ /

adjective

1. short for monophonic

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noun

1. monophonic sound; monophony

mono- ² British  

combining form

1. one; single

   monochrome

   monorail

2. indicating that a chemical compound contains a single specified atom or group

   monoxide

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mono– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means “one, only, single,” as in monochromatic, having only one color. It is often found in chemical names where it means “containing just one” of the specified atom or group, as in carbon monoxide, which is carbon attached to a single oxygen atom.

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Usage

What does mono- mean? 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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• monos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mono¹

By shortening

Origin of mono²

By shortening

Origin of mono-³

From Greek, combining form of mónos “alone”

Example Sentences

In fact, these oils contain a low amount - 5-10% - of unhealthy saturated fats and are high in healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2025

But typically bread only uses mono- or diglyceride fatty acids as emulsifiers, which have not been linked to risk of disease.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2023

This meant that simple foods like nuts, olive oil and salmon could not call themselves “healthy,” because they were too high in fat, even though it’s heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fat.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2022

When only one atom of the first element is present, the prefix mono- is usually deleted from that part.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

They are full of silver pieces and hand-sewn daygowns for infants, cotton handkerchiefs, mono- grammed hand towels, a child’s tea set imported from Germany.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett