An investigation of the chemical composition of monazite from a number of localities has been carried out. Samples used include monazites from metamorphic rocks, granitic rocks and a hydrothermal ore deposit. The REE distribution pattern of monazite varies greatly in accordance with its geological environment. A remarkable feature of the monazites studied is that their chondrite-normalised REE distribution patterns are mostly uniform between grains within the same sample, but differ significantly from sample to sample. This characteristic apparently indicates that there is an important effect on the REE distribution of monazite exerted by the host rock or source material from which monazite crystallised. Another important feature shown by the monazites studied is that monazites in rocks containing garnet as a major mineral show extreme depletion of HREE, whereas monazites in rocks without garnet or monazite that formed after the garnet breakdown contain significantly higher amounts of Y and HREE. This suggests that the phase assemblage, especially garnet, plays an important role in the REE distribution of monazites in these rocks. The value of REE distribution in monazite is exemplified with regard to the origin of monazite in the Lewisian metamorphic rocks, which is a fundamental issue in monazite geochronology.