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. 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 ² 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 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

Example Sentences

Thursday's meetings showed "progress in implementing the plan to restore the Lebanese state's monopoly on weapons", French foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said at a briefing.

From Barron's

This route, on which the airline has a monopoly, remains its yield driver for 2026, supported by strong demand from European tourists, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal

To mention the most popular moan, the silver screen has been losing its monopoly on displaying moving pictures since the arrival of TV in the 1940s.

From The Wall Street Journal

The FTC, the focus of the court case, was created in 1914 to investigate corporate monopolies.

From Los Angeles Times

Live Nation has said that it doesn’t have a monopoly and that artists and teams set ticket prices.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cartel
• holding
• ownership
• patent
• trust