What does monophony mean?
Monophony is the practice or condition of expressing music through one melodic line without harmonized or independent accompanying parts. It is especially associated with early religious and folk traditions, including plainchant and Gregorian chant, but it can also describe contemporary solo or experimental compositions. The word is more precise than simply saying that music is “one voice”: in music, it emphasizes the structural absence of harmony and of multiple simultaneous melodies. Outside musical contexts, monophony can mean the presence or expression of a single voice, as in a recording dominated by one speaker, although this broader use is relatively uncommon and somewhat formal. Monophony should not be confused with monophthong, which is a linguistic term for a vowel pronounced as one continuous sound. Together, the musical and general meanings show the word’s central idea: a single vocal or sonic strand carrying the expression without polyphonic complexity.
nounMonophony is music performed in a single melodic line, without harmony or accompanying parts. More broadly, it refers to the condition of having or expressing only one voice or sound.
- Music performed in a single melodic part, without harmony or accompaniment.
- The condition of having or expressing only one voice or sound.
"The ancient chant was written as an example of monophony, with every singer following the same melody."
"The choir performed the medieval piece in monophony, with no instrumental harmony."
"When the speakers fell silent, the room was left in an uneasy monophony of rustling papers and distant traffic."
The plural is rarely needed, since the word most often refers to a musical texture or condition.
"The study compares monophonies from several early traditions."
Before orchestras and harmony, there was monophony: one line carrying the whole musical world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does monophony come from?
The word combines Greek monos, meaning “single,” with phōnē, meaning “sound” or “voice.” The musical sense developed through related terminology such as monophonic and was established in English during the 19th century. Its close cognate, polyphony, likewise reflects the contrast between music made with a single voice or melody and music made with several independent voices.
Related word forms
How monophony is actually used
In music, monophony is a technical term and is often contrasted with polyphony or homophony. In broader use, it is uncommon and can sound formal or literary.
Easily confused with monophony
Monophony concerns music or voices using a single melodic or vocal line, whereas a monophthong is a vowel pronounced as one uninterrupted sound, such as the vowel in go.