monopoly

[ muh-nop-uh-lee ]
See synonyms for: monopolymonopolies on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural mo·nop·o·lies.
  1. exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices.: Compare duopoly, oligopoly.

  2. an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government.

  1. the exclusive possession or control of something.

  2. something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service.

  3. a company or group that has such control.

  4. the market condition that exists when there is only one seller.

  5. (initial capital letter) a board game in which a player attempts to gain a monopoly of real estate by advancing around the board and purchasing property, acquiring capital by collecting rent from other players whose pieces land on that property.

Origin of monopoly

1
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin monopōlium, from Greek monopṓlion “right of exclusive sale,” from mono- mono- + pōl(eîn) “to sell” + -ion, noun suffix

Other words from monopoly

  • mo·nop·o·loid, adjective
  • an·ti·mo·nop·o·ly, adjective
  • pre·mo·nop·o·ly, noun, plural pre·mo·nop·o·lies, adjective
  • pro·mo·nop·o·ly, adjective

Words Nearby monopoly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use monopoly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monopoly (1 of 2)

monopoly

/ (məˈnɒpəlɪ) /


nounplural -lies
  1. exclusive control of the market supply of a product or service

    • an enterprise exercising this control

    • the product or service so controlled

  1. law the exclusive right or privilege granted to a person, company, etc, by the state to purchase, manufacture, use, or sell some commodity or to carry on trade in a specified country or area

  2. exclusive control, possession, or use of something

Origin of monopoly

1
C16: from Late Latin, from Greek monopōlion, from mono- + pōlein to sell

Derived forms of monopoly

  • monopolism, noun
  • monopolist, noun
  • monopolistic, adjective
  • monopolistically, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for Monopoly (2 of 2)

Monopoly

/ (məˈnɒpəlɪ) /


noun
  1. trademark a board game for two to six players who throw dice to advance their tokens around a board, the object being to acquire the property on which their tokens land

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for monopoly

monopoly

The exclusive control by one company of a service or product.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.