1. (Metaph.) That doctrine which refers all phenomena to a single ultimate constituent or agent; — the
opposite of dualism.
The doctrine has been held in three generic forms: matter and its phenomena have been explained as
a modification of mind, involving an idealistic monism; or mind has been explained by and resolved into
matter, giving a materialistic monism; or, thirdly, matter, mind, and their phenomena have been held to
be manifestations or modifications of some one substance, like the substance of Spinoza, or a supposed
unknown something of some evolutionists, which is capable of an objective and subjective aspect.
2. (Biol.) See Monogenesis, 1.
Monist
(Mon"ist), n. A believer in monism.
Monistic
(Mo*nis"tic) a. Of, pertaining to, or involving, monism.
Monition
(Mo*ni"tion) n. [F., fr. L. monitio, from monere to warn, bring to mind; akin to E. mind. See
Mind, and cf. Admonish, Money, Monster.]
1. Instruction or advice given by way of caution; an admonition; a warning; a caution.
Sage monitions from his friends.
Swift. 2. Information; indication; notice; advice.
We have no visible monition of . . . other periods, such as we have of the day by successive light and
darkness.
Holder. 3. (Admiralty Practice) A process in the nature of a summons to appear and answer.
4. (Eccl. Law) An order monishing a party complained against to obey under pain of the law. Shipley.
Monitive
(Mon"i*tive) a. Conveying admonition; admonitory. Barrow.
Monitor
(Mon"i*tor) n. [L., fr. monere. See Monition, and cf. Mentor.]
1. One who admonishes; one who warns of faults, informs of duty, or gives advice and instruction by
way of reproof or caution.
You need not be a monitor to the king.
Bacon. 2. Hence, specifically, a pupil selected to look to the school in the absence of the instructor, to notice
the absence or faults of the scholars, or to instruct a division or class.
3. (Zoöl.) Any large Old World lizard of the genus Varanus; esp., the Egyptian species (V. Niloticus),
which is useful because it devours the eggs and young of the crocodile. It is sometimes five or six feet
long.
4. [So called from the name given by Captain Ericson, its designer, to the first ship of the kind.] An
ironclad war vessel, very low in the water, and having one or more heavily-armored revolving turrets,
carrying heavy guns.
5. (Mach.) A tool holder, as for a lathe, shaped like a low turret, and capable of being revolved on a
vertical pivot so as to bring successively the several tools in holds into proper position for cutting.
Monitor top, the raised central portion, or clearstory, of a car roof, having low windows along its sides.
Monitorial
(Mon`i*to"ri*al) a.
