monopolize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to acquire, have, or exercise a monopoly of.
-
to obtain exclusive possession of; keep entirely to oneself.
Children monopolize one's time.
verb
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to have, control, or make use of fully, excluding others
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to obtain, maintain, or exploit a monopoly of (a market, commodity, etc)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monopolize
First recorded in 1605–15; monopol(y) + -ize
Explanation
If you monopolize something, you won't let anyone else get their hands on it. When you were little, your mom might have said, "Don't monopolize the swing. Let your sister have a turn." When a company monopolizes something, it has an unfair amount of control over a particular product or service, hurting other companies and giving consumers fewer choices. A business might monopolize the media in an entire state, for example, by owning the local newspapers, TV stations, and news websites. Monopolize comes from monopoly, which isn't just a great board game, but actually means "exclusive control of a commodity or trade."
Vocabulary lists containing monopolize
30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
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Nine Stories
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"Declaration of Sentiments" by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
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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.
Federal Trade Commission is launching an antitrust probe into the company over whether it will try to monopolize the CPU market after launching its own chip.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Watts says you may already be attached once you notice the signs—they start a fight after a big event in the partner’s life, give backhanded compliments, monopolize the conversation—but it’s not worth sticking around.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025
Understanding just how China came to monopolize the rare-earth industry can help investors anticipate what’s coming next, making it easier to invest in the critical—and exceedingly volatile—sector.
From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025
On one side was Continental and Northwest, which claimed larger rival American Airlines had illegally lowered fares to monopolize certain markets.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2025
That factor alone would explain why societies of thousands can exist only if they develop centralized authority to monopolize force and resolve conflicts.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
