monologue
Americannoun
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a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker.
a comedian's monologue.
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a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.
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any composition, as a poem, in which a single person speaks alone.
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a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.
noun
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a long speech made by one actor in a play, film, etc, esp when alone
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a dramatic piece for a single performer
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any long speech by one person, esp when interfering with conversation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing monologue
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 3
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Reading: Literature - Drama - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her monologue manages to be both a diss to her mother and to the city that gifted her so much success.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
Quickly editing my interior monologue, as to not admit psychosis: “That’s my dog.”
From Salon • Jun. 25, 2026
Yes, I was looking at the monologue, the two pages that they gave me.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
That wryly ironic, quietly devastating and now-famous monologue, scored with Iggy Pop’s mad rush of a punk anthem, “Lust for Life,” sets off a cinematic whirlwind.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
“Yes, I’m traveling solo,” I say, “but I’m older than I look,” and I almost launch into my monologue about Mom in the bathroom but then remember this guy isn’t a Greyhound employee.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
