Soliloquy
/səˈlɪləkwi/noun
A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud when alone.
Did you know?Soliloquy was coined in the early 17th century from Latin roots, making it one of those rare English words whose very shape feels theatrical and almost incantatory.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
sōlus
“alone, single”
Latin
Latin
loquī
“to speak”
Early 17th Century
English
soliloquy
“the act of speaking to oneself; a character’s speech when alone”
17th–18th Century
English
soliloquy
“a dramatic speech revealing a character’s thoughts to the audience”
Modern English
English
soliloquy
“a speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud when alone”