monopolize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to acquire, have, or exercise a monopoly of.
-
to obtain exclusive possession of; keep entirely to oneself.
Children monopolize one's time.
verb
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to have, control, or make use of fully, excluding others
-
to obtain, maintain, or exploit a monopoly of (a market, commodity, etc)
Other Word Forms
- antimonopolization adjective
- monopolization noun
- monopolizer noun
- overmonopolize verb (used with object)
- premonopolize verb (used with object)
- unmonopolized adjective
- unmonopolizing adjective
Etymology
Origin of monopolize
First recorded in 1605–15; monopol(y) + -ize
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.
Understanding just how China came to monopolize the rare-earth industry can help investors anticipate what’s coming next, making it easier to invest in the critical—and exceedingly volatile—sector.
From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025
“For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two. I never thought it would come to this but perhaps, as with all things, the time has come,” he wrote Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
Major sponsors are still ubiquitous at the Games, where only Visa credit cards are accepted and Coca-Cola products monopolize the concession stands, but venues and fields of play have remained commercial-free.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025
“No small group of people should be able to monopolize what gets monetized,” Yaccarino said in the two-minute video.
From Slate • Aug. 7, 2024
The ingredients for the visibilizer had to be delivered, and the sooner the better, but the baroness clearly intended to monopolize the rest of her morning.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
