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antitrust

American  
[an-tee-truhst, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈtrʌst, ˌæn taɪ- /

adjective

  1. opposing or intended to restrain trusts, monopolies, or other large combinations of business and capital, especially with a view to maintaining and promoting competition.

    antitrust legislation.


antitrust British  
/ ˌæntɪˈtrʌst /

noun

  1. (modifier) regulating or opposing trusts, monopolies, cartels, or similar organizations, esp in order to prevent unfair competition

"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

Etymology

Origin of antitrust

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; anti- + trust

Explanation

The adjective antitrust describes a kind of law or rule that protects fairness and competition in business. Antitrust laws are intended to stop companies from forming monopolies. An antitrust attorney specializes in business law, and the rules and regulations that keep competition between businesses fair and equal. One example of an antitrust violation is price fixing, when different companies conspire to keep prices high for their customers. The term antitrust has been around since the 1890s, when the Sherman Act was passed, prohibiting business activities that harmed competition.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing antitrust

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.

See Examples For:

However, Paramount suspended such ambitions on Friday, agreeing to delay the merger until after a trial to litigate the merits of the antitrust case brought by Bonta and the other Democrats.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 27, 2026

It would likely have faced scrutiny from antitrust enforcers and state attorneys general.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 26, 2026

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín that its proposed $111-billion deal — which would reshape Hollywood with the combination of two historic studios — did not violate U.S. antitrust laws.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 24, 2026

The agency’s antitrust division plans to announce today a new model for streamlining the reviews that would quickly focus on the most apparent ways a deal might diminish competition, according to DOJ officials.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

Maybe you spend three years in Massachusetts, studying constitutional law and discussing the relative merits of exclusionary vertical agreements in antitrust cases.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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