monologue

American  

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

Or monolog

noun

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  

/ məˈnɒləɡɪst, mɒˈnɒlədʒɪ, ˈmɒnəˌlɒɡɪst, ˌmɒnəˈlɒdʒɪk, 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

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

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

The actor delivered a monologue as an older version of 26-year-old Carpenter in the middle of her set.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Still, Keisha’s final monologue is devastating in its plea for perceptual equity, and daniels’ performance grounds the play in something urgently human.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

They’re becoming mainstream enough to be name checked in comedian Conan O’Brien’s Academy Awards monologue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The patience and resilience O’Brien mentioned in his monologue were immediately reflected in the first award of the night, when Madigan took home the trophy for her work in “Weapons.”

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2026

Garret Charles actually gave us a generic monologue about the dust of California in the eighties.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Related Words

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