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Synonyms

cartel

American  
[kahr-tel] / kɑrˈtɛl /

noun

  1. an international syndicate, combine, or trust formed especially to regulate prices and output in some field of business.

    Synonyms:
    combination, merger, monopoly

  2. a coalition of political or special-interest groups having a common cause, as to encourage the passage of a certain law.

  3. a written agreement between belligerents, especially for the exchange of prisoners.

  4. a written challenge to a duel.

cartel British  
/ kɑːˈtɛl /

noun

  1. Also called: trust.  a collusive international association of independent enterprises formed to monopolize production and distribution of a product or service, control prices, etc

  2. politics an alliance of parties or interests to further common aims

"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
cartel Cultural  

  1. An association in which producers of a similar or identical product try to obtain a monopoly over the sale of the product.

Discover More

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a cartel.

Other Word Forms

  • cartelism noun

Etymology

Origin of cartel

1550–60; < Middle French < Italian cartello letter of defiance, poster, equivalent to cart ( a ) carte + -ello diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

U.S. crude prices surged 51% in March for their largest monthly gain since May 2020, when the easing of Covid-19 lockdown measures and steep production cuts by the OPEC+ cartel sparked an 88% rally.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Tree said there are notable differences between terrorists and cartel members and that conflating the two is intentionally confusing.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

Some people are canceling vacations in regions far from cartel activity, he said: “It would be like something happening in California and then deciding not to go to Florida for vacation.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

Skipping the usual extradition process, Mexico shipped scores of cartel suspects to the United States to face justice, an unprecedented step.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Right before their eyes he had transformed his syndicate into an international cartel.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.