Purpose <p>This study explores the propagation characteristics of Rayleigh-type wave (RTW) in a rotating structure consisting of dissimilar monoclinic elastic substrate coated by thin monoclinic elastic layer under gravity. The investigation takes into account the presence of a sliding contact at the interface between the layer and the underlying substrate. The primary objective is to derive an approximate secular relation for the propagating wave in the considered structure.</p> Methods <p>The effective boundary condition method is employed to derive an approximate secular relation of third order of the propagating wave in implicit form.</p> Results <p>Various special cases have been investigated with the help of the obtained secular relation. The analytical and graphical results corresponding to orthotropic and isotropic structures, in the absence of rotation and gravity, align with existing results in the literature. A comparative analysis for monoclinic, orthotropic and isotropic materials has been conducted to graphically depict the influences of wave number, rotation, gravity and material anisotropy on the phase velocity (PhV) of RTW.</p> Conclusion <p>The comprehensive and comparative analysis provides valuable insight into how these aforementioned factors significantly affect the propagation behavior of RTW in distinct sliding thin-layered structures. The reported consequences may be helpful in geophysical exploration and structural health monitoring (SHM).</p>