Meanings
- not comparableAble to produce only one sound at a time.
- not comparableentertainmentCharacterized by monophony.
It was a short monophonous melody with a delicate Oriental redolence, much like a lullaby or love song.
1974 March 18, “A Forgotten Melody”, in Time, volume 103, number 11, →ISSN, page 572 more examples
A real danger arose for monophonous Church music through the introduction of polyphony and through the humanistic movement, which influenced, especially in Italy, the musicians of the 16th century.
1979, Karl Weinmann, History of Church Music, →ISBN, page 40Ottoman music, even the classical music played by the bands, was monophonous, consisting simply of the melodic line, with infinite variations but without harmony or counterpoint
1986, Fanny Davis, The Ottoman Lady: A Social History from 1718 to 1918, →ISBN, page 166Synonyms: monophonic
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveCharacterized by monophony.
Origin
From mono- + -phonous. Compare Ancient Greek μονόφωνος (monóphōnos, “with only one voice or tone”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
monophonous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monophonous
“monophonous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monophonous. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monophonous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monophonous.
Source: monophonous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.