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).
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Origin of oligopoly
First recorded in 1890–95; oligo- + (mono)poly
OTHER WORDS FROM oligopoly
ol·i·gop·o·lis·tic [ol-i-gop-uh-lis-tik], /ˌɒl ɪˌgɒp əˈlɪs tɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby oligopoly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences 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 forms of oligopoly
oligopolistic, adjectiveWord 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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural 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.