monophonic

adjective

mono·​pho·​nic ˌmä-nə-ˈfä-nik How to pronounce monophonic (audio)
-ˈfō-
1
: having a single unaccompanied melodic line
2
: of or relating to sound transmission, recording, or reproduction involving a single transmission path
monophonically adverb

Examples of monophonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Clarke started out, with Depeche Mode, using a monophonic synthesizer — a keyboard that could play only one note at a time. Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Choral music most likely evolved out of Gregorian chant, a monophonic style of sacred singing that emerged in Europe during the sixth century. New York Times, 8 Apr. 2021 The recordings offer modest fidelity—monophonic sound recorded on lacquer discs, some off-mic solos—but offer exciting listening. John Edward Hasse, WSJ, 24 Dec. 2018 We were both misunderstood LGBTQ New Englanders with an undying passion for monophonic analog synthesizers! Jonny Pierce, Billboard, 23 June 2017 In other Orthodox churches, like the Russian and Greek, monophonic chant remained the dominant style until at least the 16th century. Celestine Bohlen, New York Times, 20 June 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monophonic was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near monophonic

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

monophonic

adjective
mono·​pho·​nic ˌmän-ə-ˈfän-ik How to pronounce monophonic (audio)
: of or relating to sound recording or reproduction involving a single transmission path
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