soliloquy

[ suh-lil-uh-kwee ]
See synonyms for soliloquy on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural so·lil·o·quies.
  1. an utterance or discourse spoken to oneself, without regard for whether any other hearers are present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts): Hamlet's soliloquy begins with “To be or not to be.”

  2. the act of talking while or as if alone.

Origin of soliloquy

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin sōliloquium “a talking to oneself, soliloquy,” equivalent to sōli-soli-1 + loqu(ī) “to speak” + -ium -ium; see -y3

Words Nearby soliloquy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use soliloquy in a sentence

  • It seemed that whatever conversation there was going to be would have to take the form of a soliloquy from Clowes.

    The Gold Bat | P. G. Wodehouse
  • His language was faultless, his word selections beautiful, his soliloquy impressive beyond description.

  • A loud cry of a different kind here interrupted his soliloquy, and soon after the first cry was repeated louder than before.

    Martin Rattler | R.M. Ballantyne
  • As De Courval caught bits of the soliloquy under his window, he thought of his mother's wonder at this new and surprising country.

    The Red City | S. Weir Mitchell
  • Then again there is the clue of Skakspere's use of the word "consummation" in the revised form of the "To be" soliloquy.

    Montaigne and Shakspere | John M. Robertson

British Dictionary definitions for soliloquy

soliloquy

/ (səˈlɪləkwɪ) /


nounplural -quies
  1. the act of speaking alone or to oneself, esp as a theatrical device

  2. a speech in a play that is spoken in soliloquy: Hamlet's first soliloquy

Origin of soliloquy

1
C17: via Late Latin sōliloquium, from Latin sōlus sole + loquī to speak

usage For soliloquy

Soliloquy is sometimes wrongly used where monologue is meant. Both words refer to a long speech by one person, but a monologue can be addressed to other people, whereas in a soliloquy the speaker is always talking to himself or herself

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012