oligopoly

[ol-i-gop-uh-lee]

noun

1. the market condition that exists when there are few sellers, as a result of which they can greatly influence price and other market factors.

oligopoly

/ ˌɒlɪˈɡɒpəlɪ /

noun

1. economics a market situation in which control over the supply of a commodity is held by a small number of producers each of whom is able to influence prices and thus directly affect the position of competitors

oligopoly

1. Control over the production and sale of a product or service by a few companies.

Other Word Forms

• oligopolistic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oligopoly¹

First recorded in 1890–95; oligo- + (mono)poly

Word History and Origins

Origin of oligopoly¹

C20: from _oligo- + Greek pōlein to sell, on the model of _monopoly

Example Sentences

Carolyn Rogers endorsed a competition shakeup in the highly concentrated financial-services industry, saying the country’s banking sector is an oligopoly and changes could help lift Canada’s prolonged productivity slump.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

OTTAWA—The Bank of Canada’s No. 2 official endorsed a competition shakeup in the highly concentrated financial-services industry, saying the country’s banking sector is an oligopoly and changes could help lift Canada’s prolonged productivity slump.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In "What Went Wrong with Capitalism," Ruchir Sharma charts the rise of the so-called “big government,” oligopolies and the type of economic system that is set up to benefit the billionaire class.

Read more on Salon

Supreme Court decision that effectively broke up the studio oligopolies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

You can hardly find a better example of the corruption of government by big business, which ties into all these issues about consolidation and oligopolies and monopoly power.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• cartel 
• holding 
• ownership 
• patent 
• trust