cartel

[kahr-tel]

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

/ 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

cartel

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

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

Other Word Forms

• cartelism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cartel¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cartel¹

C20: from German Kartell, from French, from Italian cartello a written challenge, public notice, diminutive of carta _card ¹

Example Sentences

Manzo, 40, gained notoriety as an outspoken proponent of taking a hard-line against the cartels that have overrun many regions of Mexico.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He asked residents to stay home and asked the army and other Mexican security forces for help in dealing with the cartel threat.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

López Obrador, especially, vowed to break with the confrontational approaches of past Mexican administrations, whose military operations he said failed to weaken cartels and only fueled violence.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The cartel made no mention of the fresh sanctions in its statement Sunday, and reiterated its assessment of a “steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

China’s main connection to the opioid crisis is as the source of the chemicals, known as precursors, used by Mexican cartels that produce fentanyl and smuggle the drug into the U.S.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conglomerate 
• consortium 
• corporation 
• gang 
• holding company 
• mob 
• monopoly 
• ring 
• syndicate