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Synonyms

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.

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

"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
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.

Discover More

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

Other Word 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

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.

Currently, the cartel office has to provide evidence when they believe something is wrong with prices.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Tree said there are notable differences between terrorists and cartel members and that conflating the two is intentionally confusing.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

“Several factors are anticipated to support the global economic growth dynamic in the near-term, although trade-related and geopolitical dynamics and their implications require close monitoring,” the Vienna-based cartel said in its closely watched monthly report.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Some people are canceling vacations in regions far from cartel activity, he said: “It would be like something happening in California and then deciding not to go to Florida for vacation.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

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

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.