monorail

noun

mono·​rail ˈmä-nə-ˌrāl How to pronounce monorail (audio)
: a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle
also : a vehicle traveling on such a track

Illustration of monorail

Illustration of monorail

Examples of monorail in a Sentence

Monorails connect different parts of the park. The passengers boarded the monorail.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While above-ground systems are well-suited for city infrastructure, one drawback is the bulky nature of certain systems, such as monorails or elevated railways. Nadezhda Kosareva, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 After fighting transit advocates who were pushing Miami-Dade to drop a fund for a private monorail line to South Beach in favor of extending Metromover, Higgins reversed course in 2022 and adopted the same position. Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025 With a monorail touching many landmarks, the map's building architecture looks modern, but with plenty of zip lines connecting buildings. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024 How many hotels are on the monorail? Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for monorail

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monorail was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monorail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monorail. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

monorail

noun
mono·​rail ˈmän-ə-ˌrāl How to pronounce monorail (audio)
: a single rail serving as a track for cars that balance on or hang from it
also : a car using such a track

More from Merriam-Webster on monorail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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