soliloquy
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 soliloquy in a Sentence
James Wood, New Republic, 26 June 2000
A funny thing happened to Billy Joel on the way to the recording studio recently. "I was walking down the street," he says, "and there was this big guy with long, stringy, greasy hair just talking to the air—screaming, actually. He was in the middle of this angry soliloquy when he looked at me, stopped and said in a regular voice, 'Hey, Billy, how ya doin'?' And then he went right back into his tirade."
—Elysa Gardner, Rolling Stone, 10 June 1993
After Allen left, what became known as "The Tonight Show" fell into the hands of a genuine original. Jack Paar was an eminently normal-looking man, a former G.I. entertainer who planted himself at a desk instead of scampering around like Allen had. He would begin his shows in a low, well-modulated voice, exuding a dangerous calm. Then, periodically, but never predictably, he would lurch into disgruntled, pathetic soliloquies, decrying some indignity visited upon him by the network or the press.
—Alex Ross, New Republic, 8 Nov. 1993
Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2024
He’s taken to reframing classics — a Hamlet with the ensemble onstage watching his soliloquies; a Glass Menagerie in which Laura Wingfield, often acted with a slight limp, was played by an actress who uses a wheelchair.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2024
Paradoxically, given the co-lead casting of a music superstar, the majority of the numbers are Arthur’s soliloquies, indicating his complete detachment from the reality of a trial in which the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Sep. 2024
That’s also the case at news conferences, in which Harbaugh’s stream-of-consciousness soliloquies and unusual word choices often make reporters glance at one another with amusement.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for soliloquy 
Dictionary Entries Near soliloquy
Cite this Entry
“Soliloquy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soliloquy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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soliloquy
noun
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