monomania: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal/Literary/Technical (Psychology)
Quick answer
What does “monomania” mean?
An obsessive preoccupation with a single idea, subject, or emotion.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An obsessive preoccupation with a single idea, subject, or emotion.
In psychology and historical psychiatry, it referred to a type of mental derangement where the patient is irrational on one specific subject while being relatively sane on others. In modern usage, it describes an extreme, often unhealthy fixation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally formal and technical in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical. Suggests an unhealthy or pathological obsession.
Frequency
Rare in everyday speech in both regions; appears primarily in formal writing, literature, or technical discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “monomania” in a Sentence
Monomania for [noun/gerund]Monomania about [noun/gerund]Suffer from monomaniaVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “monomania” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- 'Monomania' is a noun; there is no standard verb form. One might 'monomaniacally pursue' a goal.
American English
- 'Monomania' is a noun; there is no standard verb form. One might 'monomaniacally focus' on a task.
adverb
British English
- He worked monomaniacally on his novel for three years.
American English
- She campaigned monomaniacally for the policy change.
adjective
British English
- His monomaniacal pursuit of the championship cost him his friendships.
American English
- Her monomaniacal focus on the details made the project successful but exhausting.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used. Might describe an executive's unhealthy focus on a single metric to the detriment of the whole company.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, history, and historical psychology texts.
Everyday
Very rare. Would sound overly formal or dramatic.
Technical
Primary domain: historical/descriptive psychiatry and psychoanalysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “monomania”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “monomania”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “monomania”
- Using it to describe a simple strong interest (e.g., 'his monomania for football' overstates a normal hobby).
- Confusing it with 'monotony' (boredom from repetition).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is a historical term from 19th-century psychiatry and is not used in modern diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5.
'Monomania' is stronger and more pathological, implying a degree of derangement. 'Obsession' is more common and can range from mild to severe.
Rarely. Its connotations are almost always negative, suggesting an unhealthy and unbalanced state of mind.
Yes, the French psychiatrist Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol (1772–1840) developed and popularized the concept in psychiatric theory.
An obsessive preoccupation with a single idea, subject, or emotion.
Monomania is usually formal/literary/technical (psychology) in register.
Monomania: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɒnəʊˈmeɪniə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɑːnoʊˈmeɪniə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[He/She] has a one-track mind (less formal equivalent)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
MONO (one) + MANIA (madness) = madness about ONE thing.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FIXED IDEA IS A DISEASE / AN OBSESSION IS A PRISON.
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario BEST illustrates 'monomania'?