monopoly
an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government.
the exclusive possession or control of something.
something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service.
a company or group that has such control.
the market condition that exists when there is only one seller.
(initial capital letter) a board game in which a player attempts to gain a monopoly of real estate by advancing around the board and purchasing property, acquiring capital by collecting rent from other players whose pieces land on that property.
Origin of monopoly
1Other words from monopoly
- mo·nop·o·loid, adjective
- an·ti·mo·nop·o·ly, adjective
- pre·mo·nop·o·ly, noun, plural pre·mo·nop·o·lies, adjective
- pro·mo·nop·o·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use monopoly in a sentence
Joel Klein hates monopolies, but he really loves the private sector.
But, again, companies accustomed to having monopolies rarely innovate.
Why Would Comcast Improve When It Could Buy Time Warner Cable Instead? | Daniel Gross | February 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTGoldwater co-chairs a campaign to “stand up to utility monopolies to ensure solar energy remains strong in America.”
The left has been ceded a monopoly on caring about black people, and monopolies are dangerous.
When America Said "No" to the War on Segregation | Jamelle Bouie | February 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFor starters, she notes, Big Energy—especially utility monopolies like Georgia Power—have too much centralized power.
The Green Tea Party: Debbie Dooley Battles Big Energy | Michelle Cottle | September 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Regular taxation, monopolies, mortgages, and loans barely sufficed to provide for the budget.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonThe tablet should bear that memorable sentence of yours on the first day of your examination, “All monopolies are bad.”
East Anglia | J. Ewing RitchieUnder this system monopolies were common, and among them few were more important than that of the East India Company.
Monopolies, under the name of patents, have been devised to assist and reward those who have chosen the line of pecuniary profit.
Decline of Science in England | Charles BabbageIt is not the fault of Conservation that there are extremes in combinations, resulting in trusts or monopolies.
British Dictionary definitions for monopoly (1 of 2)
/ (məˈnɒpəlɪ) /
exclusive control of the market supply of a product or service
an enterprise exercising this control
the product or service so controlled
law the exclusive right or privilege granted to a person, company, etc, by the state to purchase, manufacture, use, or sell some commodity or to carry on trade in a specified country or area
exclusive control, possession, or use of something
Origin of monopoly
1Derived forms of monopoly
- monopolism, noun
- monopolist, noun
- monopolistic, adjective
- monopolistically, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for Monopoly (2 of 2)
/ (məˈnɒpəlɪ) /
trademark a board game for two to six players who throw dice to advance their tokens around a board, the object being to acquire the property on which their tokens land
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
Cultural definitions for monopoly
The exclusive control by one company of a service or product.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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