Frequently asked questions
What does the prefix mono mean?
Mono comes from Greek for one or single, so mono- words describe something involving a single item, tone, or idea, such as monologue or monorail.
Letters and spelling
Words that start with mono
This list helps students and curious readers learn words that use the prefix mono, meaning one or single. It spans science terms like monotone and everyday words like monopoly, showing how a single Greek root shapes many different fields of vocabulary.
Words that start with mono
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence | Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| monopolynoun | Complete control of the trade or supply of a product or service by a single company, excluding competitors. | The company held a near monopoly on the region's electricity supply for decades. | |
| monotonenoun | A single, unchanging tone or pitch, especially one used in speaking that sounds dull or flat. | The lecturer's monotone made it hard for students to stay focused during the long class. | |
| monorailnoun | A railway system in which trains travel along a single rail, usually raised above the ground. | Visitors can take the monorail from the parking area directly to the amusement park entrance. | |
| monologuenoun | A long speech given by a single person, especially in a play, film, or performance. | The actor delivered a powerful monologue about grief in the second act of the play. | |
| monoclenoun | A single eyeglass lens held in place around one eye by the surrounding facial muscles. | In old films, wealthy characters are sometimes shown wearing a monocle and top hat. | |
| monogramnoun | A design formed from one or more letters, usually a person's initials, used as a decorative symbol. | The towels were embroidered with a gold monogram of the couple's initials. | |
| monolithnoun | A single large upright block of stone, or a large, uniform structure or organization. | The ancient monolith at the site has puzzled archaeologists for over a century. | |
| monogamynoun | The practice or state of having only one spouse or romantic partner at a time. | Monogamy is the most common form of marriage recognized by law in most countries today. | |
| monochromeadjective | Using or containing only one color, or shades of a single color, such as in black-and-white photography. | The photographer preferred monochrome images because they emphasized shape and contrast over color. | |
| monoxidenoun | A chemical compound formed from one oxygen atom bonded with another element. | Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is dangerous in enclosed spaces. | |
| monoplanenoun | An airplane with a single main set of wings, one on each side of the fuselage. | Early aviation relied on biplanes before the monoplane became the standard design. | |
| monotonousadjective | Dull because it repeats or changes very little. | Folding the same leaflet all afternoon became monotonous. | |
| monosyllablenoun | A word that has only one syllable. | Cat, run, and dog are all monosyllables, while elephant is not. | |
| monotheismnoun | The belief that there is only one god, as opposed to many gods. | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the world's three major religions built on monotheism. | |
| monocularadjective | Relating to, involving, or having only one eye rather than two. | Rabbits have largely monocular vision, with each eye covering a different field of view. | |
| monomialnoun | A mathematical expression consisting of a single term, such as a number, a variable, or their product. | The expression 5x squared is a monomial because it contains only one term. | |
| monoculturenoun | The practice of growing a single crop or raising a single species over a large area of land. | Large-scale monoculture of corn can deplete soil nutrients faster than crop rotation does. | |
| monoplegianoun | Paralysis that affects only a single limb. | The stroke left him with monoplegia in his right arm, while the rest of his body was unaffected. | |
| monolingualadjective | Speaking, using, or conducted in only one language. | Many students in immersion programs move from monolingual to bilingual within a few years. | |
| monosodiumadjective | Containing a single sodium atom or ion per molecule of a compound. | Monosodium glutamate is widely used as a flavor enhancer in many savory foods. | |
| monomernoun | A small molecule that can chemically bond with identical molecules to form a larger polymer. | Ethylene is the monomer used to produce the plastic polyethylene. | |
| monotypenoun | A single, one-of-a-kind print made by transferring an image from a painted or inked plate. | The artist created a monotype by painting directly onto a metal plate and pressing it onto paper. | |
| monoblockadjective | Made or cast as a single solid piece rather than assembled from separate parts. | The engine used a monoblock design, casting the cylinders and crankcase as one unit. | |
| monomanianoun | An excessive, obsessive preoccupation with a single idea, subject, or activity. | His monomania about winning the competition left little room for anything else in his life. | |
| monomaniacnoun | A person who is obsessively fixated on a single idea, goal, or subject. | Colleagues joked that he was a monomaniac about efficiency, timing every task down to the second. |
No matching words in this collection.