soliloquy
Americannoun
plural
soliloquies-
an utterance or discourse spoken to oneself, without regard for whether any other hearers are present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts).
Hamlet's soliloquy begins with “To be or not to be.”
-
the act of talking while or as if alone.
noun
-
the act of speaking alone or to oneself, esp as a theatrical device
-
a speech in a play that is spoken in soliloquy
Hamlet's first soliloquy
Usage
What does soliloquy mean? A soliloquy is a speech spoken to no one but oneself, even if other people are around. The word is most often used to describe such a speech in a play.In a play, a soliloquy is performed alone, regardless of whether there are other actors present on the stage. Soliloquies are typically used to let the audience hear a character’s inner thoughts. In terms of theater, a soliloquy is different from a monologue, which is also a long speech, but is part of a conversation with someone else.Example: The most famous soliloquy in theater is perhaps the one from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which begins “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
Etymology
Origin of soliloquy
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin sōliloquium “a talking to oneself, soliloquy,” equivalent to sōli- soli- 1 + loqu(ī) “to speak” + -ium -ium; -y 3
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.
“That is an opportunity you cannot turn down,” he says, even though he only had a week to prepare the most famous soliloquies in the Western canon.
From Los Angeles Times
His soliloquies have helped hook a huge audience into the spiky worldview of the show.
The kids prance around the yard quoting “Macbeth” a decade before he’ll stage it and Mescal gets to recite a “Hamlet” soliloquy as a little treat.
From Los Angeles Times
The story’s emotional climax, the crescendo of his bold answer to Shakespeare’s soliloquy, is drenched in golden hues to underscore a life or death choice.
From Los Angeles Times
“Those epic soliloquies?” says someone who works closely with Sheridan, “That’s how he talks.”
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.
