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

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

How to use soliloquy in a sentence

  • This and much more of the same kind was uttered in soliloquies, but need not be repeated at length to the reader.

    Mr. Scarborough's Family | Anthony Trollope
  • There was no necessity for you to make all those long soliloquies, Whipster.

    Voces Populi | F. Anstey
  • The women were the most silent,—pale and silent; the men uttered low exclamations or soliloquies, or talked together.

    The Long Roll | Mary Johnston

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