antitrust legislation

Cultural  

1. Laws passed in the United States, especially between 1890 and 1915, to prevent large business corporations, called trusts, from combining into monopolies to restrict competition. The laws were instituted to encourage free enterprise. (See also trust busting.)

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The enforcement of antitrust laws has been inconsistent.

Although the Bell Telephone system was declared a monopoly and forced to break up, huge corporations continue to merge.

Example Sentences

Reacting to this concentration of wealth and power, a progressive movement emerged, advocating for new public “institutional” stabilizers like labor rights, women's suffrage, estate taxation, social security, antitrust legislation and effective regulation.

From Salon • Dec. 31, 2024

The European Union is working on implementing the Digital Markets Act, which is antitrust legislation aimed at reining in the business practices of “gatekeeper” tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2023

Mr. Paul says more antitrust legislation is on the horizon.

From Washington Times • Dec. 9, 2022

Last year, the Senate also introduced antitrust legislation aimed at fostering competition with both Apple’s and Google’s app stores.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2022

It was drawn out so as to cover antitrust legislation, control and taxation of corporations, water-power, railroad rates, etc., pure-food law, white-slave traffic, and a host of others.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 21 The Recent Days (1910-1914) by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)