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 homage did not extend to long soliloquy; “Burn the Water” is intentionally economical.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026
The soliloquy is especially impressive because Ms. Ocasio-Cortez could have taken cover under the fact that U.S. policy is to decline to answer the question.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
In a makeshift classroom, Mr White, the coach, launched into an extraordinary soliloquy.
From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025
One unauthorized visit to someone else's closet yields a brief soliloquy on the implication of a Patek Philippe timepiece.
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2025
Margo managed to speak in her usual manic soliloquy without answering my question.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
