duopoly

American

[doo-op-uh-lee, dyoo-] / duˈɒp ə li, dju- /

noun

the market condition that exists when there are only two sellers.

duopoly British

/ ˌdjʊɒpəˈlɪstɪk, djʊˈɒpəlɪ /

noun

a situation in which control of a commodity or service in a particular market is vested in just two producers or suppliers

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

duopolistic

adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

duopolies

plural

Etymology

Origin of duopoly

First recorded in 1915–20; duo- + (mono)poly

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.

They plan to do the booking in house, to add a dance music option in downtown that isn’t from the mega-promoter duopoly or an after-hours gig.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Czech 26th seed Mensik has long been earmarked as a talent who can provide a credible challenge to the duopoly of Sinner and Alcaraz.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

That endorsement came despite opposition from the proxy adviser duopoly of Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Novo Nordisk on Tuesday received a broker downgrade, with the analysts arguing that its status in a duopoly in both diabetes and weight loss are under threat.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

Asked if Ferguson was rooting for Hearts to end the Old Firm duopoly by winning the title, McInnes said: "I'm pretty sure that is the case!"

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

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