monologue
noun
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Soliloquy vs. Monologue
Soliloquy and monologue cover very similar ground, but there are some important differences between the two words. Soliloquy (from the Latin solus “alone” and loqui “to speak”) at its most basic level refers to the act of talking to oneself, and more specifically denotes the solo utterance of an actor in a drama. It tends to be used of formal or literary expressions, such as Hamlet’s soliloquies. Monologue (from Greek monos "alone" and legein "to speak") may also refer to a dramatic scene in which an actor soliloquizes, but it has other meanings as well. To a stand-up comedian, monologue denotes a comic routine. To a bored listener, it signifies a long speech uttered by someone who has too much to say.
Examples of monologue in a Sentence
Jack Irvin, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
The returning host used his opening monologue at the 2025 Grammys to push back against tariffs and lightly campaign for Beyoncé to win Album of the Year.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2025
Chief’s motor-mouthed monologue of Flippy’s backstory is hysterically funny, pulling double duty by pointing out how to properly use exposition for comedic purposes while also demonstrating backstories are inherently superfluous and absurd.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
This back-and-forth internal monologue plays out through her forthcoming third LP, A Complicated Woman (due April 25).
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 28 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Monologue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monologue. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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monologue
noun
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