cartel

American  

[kahr-tel] / kɑrˈtɛl /

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.

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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

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

And the cartel risks seeing other countries follow the UAE's example.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

OPEC’s crude output fell further last month as the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz forced major Gulf producers to curb production and reroute exports, prompting the cartel to cut its demand forecast.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

But the move failed to bring an end to their industrial action, leading to an increasingly sour relationship their union, the BMA, which he has accused of "cartel like" behaviour in negotiations over pay.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

He was later arrested in Sinaloa by Mexican security forces and quietly handed over to the Trump administration last August, along with more than two dozen other suspected cartel figures.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

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

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

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