monochrome

American  

[mon-uh-krohm] / ˈmɒn əˌkroʊm /

noun

• monochromes
  plural

1. a painting or drawing in different shades of a single color.

2. the art or technique of producing such a painting or drawing.

3. the state or condition of being painted, decorated, etc., in shades of a single color.

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adjective

1. being or made in the shades of a single color.

   a blue monochrome seascape.

2. having the images reproduced in tones of gray.

   monochrome television.

monochrome British  

/ ˈmɒnəˌkrəʊm /

noun

1. a black-and-white photograph or transparency

2. photog black and white

3. 1. a painting, drawing, etc, done in a range of tones of a single colour

   2. the technique or art of this

4. (modifier) executed in or resembling monochrome

   a monochrome print

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adjective

1. devoid of any distinctive or stimulating characteristics

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• monochromist
  noun
• monochromy
  noun
• monochromic
  adjective
• monochromical
  adjective
• monochromically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monochromes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of monochrome

From the Medieval Latin word monochrōma, dating back to 1655–65. See mono-, -chrome

Explanation

Things that are monochrome have different tones or shades of only one color. If you prefer to use monochrome film, it means that you love black and white photography. Use the adjective monochrome to describe something that's a single color. If you've ever watched an old black-and-white movie, you know what monochrome film looks like. You can also call a black-and-white photograph a monochrome. The Greek root, monochromos, means "of a single color," from monos, "single or one," and khroma, "color." Originally, it referred to art drawn or painted in tones of one color.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monochrome monochromes

To demonstrate this precision, the researchers used a standard laser to create a microscopic monochrome portrait of Albert Einstein on a thin piece of the material, with points spaced just 700 nanometers apart.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 21, 2026

It started with the concept album “A Curious Feeling,” its obsessive autumnal gloom and ornate melodies made even more memorable by the monochrome opacity of the production.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026

Many of Anderson's designs centred on a monochrome palette, with sunny bursts of orange, punctuated with ice blue and pinks.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

The enthusiasm also reflects a loss of interest in "workwear" or "quiet luxury", trends that have dominated menswear for years with their simple and often monochrome fabrics.

From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026

"A monochrome Jackson Pollock," Jane says, and then tells Tiny, "We gotta bolt. This band is like a root canal sans painkiller."

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

In Norway, Opie hoped to explore — and contribute to — the long history of blue in art, from Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period to Yves Klein’s monochromes and Derek Jarman’s elegiac film “Blue.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

The catalog’s full-page reproductions, in spectacular colors or crepuscular monochromes, are frequently transporting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

The artist said that none of his monochromes resembled each other and were "of quite a different essence and atmosphere", according to Christie's.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

“Orange Glyph,” for instance, presents a bright orange canvas that would live happily among the postwar monochromes of Yves Klein.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2023

Instead of bookshelves, this wall was crowded with framed pictures of all sizes, some in vibrant colors, others dull monochromes.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Related Words

• consistent
• continual
• nonstop
• perpetual
• regular
• stable
• steady
• unbroken
• uninterrupted