Standard Lemma guide

monochrome

adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈmɒn.əˌkɹəʊm/
  • US: /ˈmɑn.əˌkɹoʊm/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AA1 N AH0 K R OW2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having only one colour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: monochromatic, monocolor, monocoloured, monotone, unicolor, unicolored

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Representing colours with shades of gray.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: arts, hobbies, lifestyle, photography

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grayscale, greyscale

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A black and white image, especially such a photograph.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A painting executed in shades of a single colour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A ceramic glaze of a single colour; an object so glazed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

having or appearing to have only one color

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: monochromatic, monochromic, monochromous

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a black-and-white photograph or slide

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: black and white

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: photograph, photo, exposure, picture, pic

8

noun

Meaning 8

painting done in a range of tones of a single color

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: painting, picture

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μονόχρωμος (monókhrōmos), from μόνος (mónos, “one”) + χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”); mono- + -chrome.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: միագույն (miaguyn) — having only one colour
  • Bulgarian: едноцветен (ednocveten) — having only one colour
  • Catalan: monocrom — having only one colour
  • Catalan: monocromàtic — having only one colour
  • Danish: monokromatisk — having only one colour
  • Danish: ensfarvet — having only one colour
  • Estonian: monokroomne — having only one colour
  • Finnish: yksivärinen — having only one colour
  • French: monochrome — having only one colour
  • French: monocolore — having only one colour
  • French: unicolore — having only one colour
  • Galician: monocolor — having only one colour
  • Galician: monocor — having only one colour
  • Galician: monocromo — having only one colour
  • Galician: unicor — having only one colour
  • Galician: unicolor — having only one colour
  • German: einfarbig — having only one colour
  • German: monochrom — having only one colour
  • Hebrew: מונוכרומטי — having only one colour
  • Icelandic: einlitur — having only one colour
  • Irish: monacrómatach — having only one colour
  • Italian: monocolore — having only one colour
  • Italian: monocromo — having only one colour
  • Italian: unicolore — having only one colour
  • Japanese: 単色 (tanshoku) — having only one colour
  • Malay: ekawarna — having only one colour
  • Manx: undaahagh — having only one colour
  • Māori: taetahi — having only one colour
  • Norwegian: ensfarget — having only one colour
  • Persian: تکفام (takfâm) — having only one colour
  • Polish: monochromatyczny — having only one colour
  • Polish: jednobarwny — having only one colour
  • Portuguese: monocolor — having only one colour
  • Portuguese: monocromático — having only one colour
  • Portuguese: monocromo — having only one colour
  • Portuguese: unicolor — having only one colour
  • Romanian: monocrom — having only one colour
  • Romanian: monocromatic — having only one colour
  • Russian: монохро́мный (monoxrómnyj) — having only one colour
  • Russian: чёрно-белый (čórno-belyj) — having only one colour
  • Russian: одноцветный (odnocvetnyj) — having only one colour
  • Spanish: monocolor — having only one colour
  • Spanish: monocromático — having only one colour
  • Spanish: monocromo — having only one colour
  • Spanish: unicolor — having only one colour
  • Swedish: monokrom — having only one colour
  • Tagalog: sangkulayin — having only one colour
  • Armenian: սեւ-սպիտակ (sew-spitak) — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Finnish: mustavalkoinen — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Japanese: 単色 (tanshoku) — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Manx: undaahagh — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Norwegian: monokromatisk — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Norwegian: svarthvit — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Polish: czarno-biały — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Romanian: monocrom — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Russian: чёрно-белый (čórno-belyj) — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Spanish: blanco y negro — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Spanish: en blanco y negro — of a photograph, representing colours with shades of gray
  • Finnish: mustavalkokuva — black and white image
  • Finnish: harmaasävykuva — black and white image
  • German: Schwarzweißbild — black and white image
  • German: Schwarzweißfotografie — black and white image
  • Japanese: モノクローム (monokurōmu) — black and white image
  • Manx: undaah — black and white image
  • Norwegian: monokrom — black and white image
  • Norwegian: svarthvittbilde — black and white image
  • Polish: czarno-biała fotografia — black and white image
  • Russian: чёрно-белое изображе́ние (čórno-beloje izobražénije) — black and white image
  • Spanish: imagen monocromática — black and white image
  • Spanish: imagen en blanco y negro — black and white image
  • Welsh: unlliw — black and white image
  • Finnish: kameepiirros — painting executed in shades of a single colour
  • Finnish: monokromaattinen maalaus — painting executed in shades of a single colour
  • Polish: monochrom — painting executed in shades of a single colour
  • Russian: однокрасочное изображе́ние (odnokrasočnoje) — painting executed in shades of a single colour
  • Spanish: pintura monocromática — painting executed in shades of a single colour