cartel

American  

[kahr-tel] / kɑrˈtɛl /

noun

• cartels
  plural

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.

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cartel British  

/ 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

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cartel Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cartelism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cartels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cartel

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

Explanation

When groups band together to control the supply of a product for their best interests, that’s called a cartel. If you and the other kids running lemonade stands form a cartel, you can force up the price of lemonade. The word cartel originally referred to political parties that joined forces to promote a common cause. Over the years, cartel took on a decidedly negative connotation, and now it’s more likely to describe organizations that join together to limit supply of a product to force prices to remain high. You might read about an international drug cartel or a cartel of natural gas producers. To correctly pronounce the word cartel, put the accent on the second syllable: “car TEL.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cartel cartels

“It is hard not to see this as coordinated cartel behavior,” Luria said in a note to clients on Monday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

"Runner," an action comedy led by Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson, debuted in fourth place, with the heroes fighting a cartel to get a sick young girl a lifesaving organ transplant.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

Lukas Kestler, another German antitrust lawyer, said Munich is entitled to set the festival’s rules and choose breweries that comply, adding that Oktoberfest wasn’t a cartel because the rules weren’t set by participants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

But what do we know about Daniel Kinahan, one of the most wanted men in the world, and his alleged leadership of the billion-dollar Kinahan cartel?

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Right before their eyes he had transformed his syndicate into an international cartel.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Talarico says immigration enforcement is necessary but that resources should be refocused to target cartels, gang members and human traffickers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Gen. Francisco Franco, Spain’s dictator at the time, encouraged cartels to spend their money there, turning a blind eye to the peaceful spending of ill-gotten gains, as long as there was no violence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

It labeled Colombia a "longstanding partner in the fight against cartels and a vital regional security leader."

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

In its statement, DHS denied HSI has neglected its core mission, saying the agency has increased its efforts to combat criminal cartels, gangs and drug traffickers in response to multiple Trump executive orders.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

There cannot be produced the least shadow of a reason or inducement for that intention, because the prisoners were daily expecting to be released, and to embark on board cartels for their native country.

From A Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, 2nd ed. Late A Surgeon On Board An American Privateer, Who Was Captured At Sea By The British, In May, Eighteen Hundred And Thirteen, And Was Confined First, At Melville Island, Halifax, Then At Chatham, In England ... And Last, At Dartmoor Prison. Interspersed With Observations, Anecdotes And Remarks, Tending To Illustrate The Moral And Political Characters Of Three Nations. To Which Is Added, A Correct Engraving Of Dartmoor Prison, Representing The Massacre Of American Prisoners, Written By Himself. by Benjamin Waterhouse

Related Words

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