oligopoly
[ ol-i-gop-uh-lee ]
/ ˌɒl ɪˈgɒp ə li /
noun
the market condition that exists when there are few sellers, as a result of which they can greatly influence price and other market factors.Compare duopoly, monopoly(def 1).
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
Origin of oligopoly
Related formsol·i·gop·o·lis·tic [ol-i-gop-uh-lis-tik] /ˌɒl ɪˌgɒp əˈlɪs tɪk/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for oligopoly
It worked in broadcast TV, when we had three big networks and they operated an oligopoly.
British Dictionary definitions for oligopoly
oligopoly
/ (ˌɒlɪˈɡɒpəlɪ) /
noun plural -lies
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
Derived Formsoligopolistic, adjective
Word Origin for oligopoly
C20: from oligo- + Greek pōlein to sell, on the model of monopoly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for oligopoly
oligopoly
1887, from Medieval Latin oligopolium, from Greek oligos "little, small," in plural, "the few" (see oligo-) + polein "to sell" (see monopoly).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for oligopoly
oligopoly
[ (ol-i-gop-uh-lee, oh-li-gop-uh-lee) ]
Control over the production and sale of a product or service by a few companies.
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.