monochrome

1 of 2

noun

mono·​chrome ˈmä-nə-ˌkrōm How to pronounce monochrome (audio)
: a painting, drawing, or photograph in a single hue
monochromic adjective
monochromist noun

monochrome

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or made with a single color or hue
2
: involving or producing visual images in a single color or in varying tones of a single color (such as gray)
monochrome film

Examples of monochrome in a Sentence

Adjective an artist who produces monochrome pencil drawings
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Done in black and white monochrome, it’s adorned with leather-and-check tweed and patchwork styles. Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 There’s no art, no patterns, no distractions: when the room is full, the only break in this bold, all-encompassing monochrome comes from the colors and shapes of the people themselves. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2024 Granted, a monochrome CRT video game console priced 50 percent higher than the competition wasn't destined for commercial greatness, regardless of the industry's health. Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2024 The monochrome cinematography has a spooky feel to it that holds attention — apt for a film that plays like an enchanting tall tale seeped in ancient lore. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 8 Dec. 2023 The All Blacks, named for their monochrome uniforms, last played in the United States three years ago. San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 The clock features a monochrome e-paper screen and pulls its poetry rhymes via Wi-Fi from a central server run by Webb's company. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2024 Accommodations are sleek, with a monochrome color palette, leather accents, and abstract art. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2024 The signature monochrome color palette tied the collection together beautifully. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 16 Jan. 2024
Adjective
Just one look at the icons shows the division: GMC's icons are monochrome, segmented line art with black backgrounds, while Google's apps use the usual full-color, rainbow Google icons. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 6 Jan. 2023 Into this apparently stable and monochrome existence, Eng then introduces the gentle subversion and deviance of his more interesting subplots—Lesley’s passion for Sun Yat-sen’s cause, Lesley’s passion for Arthur, Maugham’s passion for Gerald, Robert’s erotic wandering. James Wood, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 Many mono-pattern rooms are monochrome, although not all monochrome rooms are necessarily mono-pattern. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023 Brons wore a jacket, trousers and shoes in all black, while Marsden was similarly monochrome in a T-shirt, pants and boots with a black sweater over his shoulders. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 27 Oct. 2023 Something small but budding, like a wad of paper uncrumpling, sullenly radiant and monochrome—like a sequence out of a silent film. Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 11 May 2022 If your setting is fairly monochrome, bring in complementary hues to enhance rather than replicate. Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 22 Apr. 2023 Many were in tune with Tár’s preference for (often monochrome) minimalism. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2023 Greek pottery had always given me trouble: The almost monochrome palette of rust on black-bedaubed white; the hectic many-tiered scenes, one register blurring into another; the curvilinear surface catching the bright museum light in all the wrong places. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monochrome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin monochroma, from Latin, feminine of monochromos of one color, from Greek monochrōmos, from mon- + -chrōmos -chrome

First Known Use

Noun

1662, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monochrome was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near monochrome

Cite this Entry

“Monochrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monochrome. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

monochrome

noun
mono·​chrome
ˈmän-ə-ˌkrōm
: a painting, drawing, or photograph in a single color
monochrome adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on monochrome

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