soliloquy

1. 1. A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener.
   2. A specific speech or piece of writing in this form of discourse.
2. The act of speaking to oneself.

[Late Latin sōliloquium : Latin sōlus, alone + Latin loquī, to speak.]

Definition: monologue
Antonyms: dialogue

soliloquy [so✓l‐il‐o✓‐kwi], a dramatic speech uttered by one character speaking aloud while alone on the stage (or while under the impression of being alone). The soliloquist thus reveals his or her inner thoughts and feelings to the audience, either in supposed self‐communion or in a consciously direct address. Soliloquies often appear in plays from the age of Shakespeare, notably in his Hamlet and Macbeth. A poem supposedly uttered by a solitary speaker, like Robert Browning's ‘Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister’ (1842), may also be called a soliloquy. Soliloquy is a form of monologue, but a monologue is not a soliloquy if (as in the dramatic monologue) the speaker is not alone.

Verb: soliloquize.

For more information on soliloquy, visit Britannica.com.

A talking to oneself; the discourse of a person speaking to himself, whether alone or in the presence of others. It gives the illusion of being unspoken reflections.

Common misspelling(s) of soliloquy

• soliliquy

Dansk (Danish)
n. - enetale, monolog

Nederlands (Dutch)
alleenspraak

Français (French)
n. - soliloque

Deutsch (German)
n. - Selbstgespräch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θεατρικός) μονόλογος

Italiano (Italian)
soliloquio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - monólogo (m), solilóquio (m)

Русский (Russian)
монолог, внутренний монолог

Español (Spanish)
n. - soliloquio, monólogo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - monolog, samtal med sig själv

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
自言自语, 独白

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 自言自語, 獨白

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 혼잣말, (연극에서) 독백

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 独語, 独白, 独り言

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مناجاة ألمرا نفسه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חד-שיח, הרהור בקול, מונולוג‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.