Trivia Time

In ancient Greek theater, what did the word monologue originally describe?

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monologue

American  

[mon-uh-lawg, -log] / ˈmɒn əˌlɔg, -ˌlɒg /

Or monolog

noun

• monologues
  plural

1. a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker.

   a comedian's monologue.

2. a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.

3. any composition, as a poem, in which a single person speaks alone.

4. a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.

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monologue British  

/ ˈmɒnəˌlɒɡ /

noun

1. a long speech made by one actor in a play, film, etc, esp when alone

2. a dramatic piece for a single performer

3. any long speech by one person, esp when interfering with conversation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• monologist
  noun
• monologuist
  noun
• monology
  noun
• monologic
  adjective
• monological
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monologues
  plural

Etymology

Origin of monologue

1615–25; < French, on the model of dialogue dialogue; compare Greek monólogos speaking alone

Explanation

A monologue is a speech delivered by one person, or a long one-sided conversation that makes you want to pull your hair out from boredom. The Greek root word monologos translates to “speaking alone,” and that’s a monologue: one person doing all the talking. In theatre, sometimes a character has a monologue that they perform. You might have an internal monologue where you talk to yourself to better understand some dilemma. Some people talk forever in a constant monologue, never letting you speak. If two people talk back and forth, it’s a dialogue, which is different and probably more fun for everyone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monologue monologues

She opens her monologue by describing a hypothetical figure born to great privilege.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

But she cited her earlier performance as Muriel in Alan Bennett's monologue Soldiering On, as one of her proudest moments.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Kimmel pointed to the “unusual circumstances” in his monologue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

As Tao described their inner monologue: “It’s too hard—I’m not going to try.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

He has a long monologue to speak—twenty lines of type in the script, delivered as he walks the stage and leads a tour of first-year students.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

You can’t really blame them if their response to the self-absorbed internal monologues of an unreliable narrator is, Oh, boo hoo.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

You can tell because of the multiple monologues that kick off with someone asking Robin if he’s ever heard that story about so-and-so and forcing the movie to halt while we listen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

On one weekend in Tokyo, hundreds of visitors flocked to a zine fair showcasing a wide range of handmade magazines in different sizes and formats -- some incorporating abstract designs, photography or personal monologues.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

Olivia and Jamieson both feel the guest-host monologues didn't work for the British version of the show.

From BBC ● May 17, 2026

His favorite parts are the long, dramatic monologues.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• discourse
• harangue
• lecture
• sermon
• soliloquy
• speech