monopoly

American  

[muh-nop-uh-lee] / məˈnɒp ə li /

noun

plural

monopolies

1. exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices.

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

3. the exclusive possession or control of something.

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

5. a company or group that has such control.

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

7. (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.

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monopoly ¹ British  

/ məˈnɒpəlɪ /

noun

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

2. 1. an enterprise exercising this control

   2. the product or service so controlled

3. 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

4. exclusive control, possession, or use of something

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Monopoly ² British  

/ məˈnɒpəlɪ /

noun

1. 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

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monopoly Cultural  

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

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Usage

How much money do you start with in Monopoly? In Monopoly, the money comes in denominations of $1 (white in color) to $500 (gold or orange). Each player starts with $1,500, as distributed and managed by the game’s designated banker. The $1,500 consists of 2 $500 bills, 2 $100 bills, and 2 $50 bills. It also includes 6 $20 bills; 5 $10 bills, 5 $5 bills, and 5 $1 bills.

Other Word Forms

• antimonopoly adjective
• monopolism noun
• monopolist noun
• monopolistic adjective
• monopolistically adverb
• monopoloid adjective
• premonopoly noun
• promonopoly adjective

Etymology

Origin of monopoly

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

Explanation

A monopoly is the exclusive ownership or control of something. If your sister claims a monopoly over the television during the Tom Cruise movie marathon, you would be wise not to touch that remote. In economics, a monopoly specifically means the domination of a market by one owner or seller. Think of the board game Monopoly. You’re trying to own all the properties so that you have a monopoly over the board and the other players have to pay you basically anywhere they land. You might recognize the prefix mono, meaning “one." Add it to the Greek word polein which means “sell,” and there you have it — one seller.

Example Sentences

Since coming to power, President Aoun has defended a policy he calls the "state monopoly on arms".

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

The smartphone’s monopoly on our attention is vulnerable in the AI age.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

He said 80% of his leads come from Rightmove which has a "monopoly on the market".

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

"We will keep fighting this case without the federal government so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation's monopoly."

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

"Well, Ras the Exhorter has had a monopoly in Harlem. But now that we are larger we might give it a try. What the committee wants is results!"

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• cartel
• holding
• ownership
• patent
• trust