Added 9 October 2026
monotone
/ˈmɒn.ə.təʊn/ noun
Latin root: monotonus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about monotone at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An unchanging intonation.
- A single tone repeated with different words or different rhythms (especially in rendering liturgical texts).
adjective
- Of a sequence or function; consistently increasing and never decreasing or consistently decreasing and never increasing in value.
-
Sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch.
the owl's faint monotonous hooting
Origin
From the post-Classical Latin monotonus (“unvarying in tone”) or its etymon the Ancient Greek μονότονος (monótonos, “steady”, “unwavering”); compare cognate adjectives, namely the French monotone, the German monoton, the Italian monotono, and the Spanish monótono, as well as the slightly earlier English noun monotony and adjective monotonical.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)