monocular

1 of 2

adjective

mon·​oc·​u·​lar mä-ˈnä-kyə-lər 

mə-

1

: of, involving, or affecting a single eye

2

: suitable for use with only one eye

monocularly adverb

monocular

2 of 2

noun

: a monocular device

Examples of monocular in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Whether a stargazing novice or an experienced amateur astronomer, you’ve probably been tempted to buy a monocular. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025

And there might be options to choose from—glasses without a display at all but with access to Gemini, glasses with a monocular display on one lens, or glasses with a binocular display that shows up front and center for the best experience, each presumably increasing in price. —Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024

Noun

Objective lenses and magnification Like a pair of binoculars, every monocular comes with two numbers, such as 8x42 or 15x50. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025

Range fingers are specialized binoculars or monoculars. —Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin monoculus having one eye

First Known Use

Adjective

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

monocular

adjective

mon·​oc·​u·​lar mä-ˈnäk-yə-lər, mə- 

1

: of, involving, or affecting a single eye

monocular vision

2

: suitable for use with only one eye

a monocular microscope

monocularly adverb