Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having circular columniation: In architecture, describes a building or structure, typically a classical temple, that is surrounded by a single ring of columns.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The ancient Greek temple was monopteral, with its circular colonnade supporting a domed roof.
  • The architect designed a monopteral pavilion for the garden, featuring a ring of slender columns.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Architectural Description: The term is used almost exclusively in architectural history and criticism to describe a specific, relatively rare classical form. It implies a round building surrounded by columns that are not connected by walls.
  • The tholos at Delphi is a famous example of a monopteral structure.

Variants and Related Words

• Monopteron (n): The noun form referring to the building itself.
  • The site contained the ruins of a monopteron.
• Peripteral (adj): Having a single row of columns on all sides; this is a broader term that can apply to rectangular temples as well as circular ones.
• Tholos (n): A type of ancient Greek circular building, which can be monopteral.

Synonyms

• Circular colonnaded: Describing the defining architectural feature.
• Rotunda with a peripheral colonnade: A more descriptive phrase.

Notes on Meaning

• The term is highly specific to classical architecture. It is not used in general language.
• It describes the arrangement of columns (columniation), not the shape of the inner chamber (cella), which may be circular or square.

Adjective

1. having circular columniation