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mo·nop·o·ly

monopoly

 
 
pronunciation:
m na p li
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word Parts
part of speech: noun
inflections: monopolies
definition 1: complete control over a service or commodity within a given market, so that competition is eliminated.
At that time, the telephone company had a monopoly over phone service in the entire region.
similar words:
ascendancy, control, domination, exclusiveness, power
definition 2: a company that has such control.
The Standard Oil Company was a monopoly established by John D. Rockefeller.Anti-trust laws were instituted in order to inhibit the creation of monopolies.
definition 3: an exclusive privilege, granted by government, to carry on a particular business.
similar words:
contract, license, patent, power, privilege
definition 4: a market characterized by only one seller or regulated by a pricing agreement between sellers. (Cf. monopsony.)
similar words:
cartel, price fixing, trust
definition 5: possession of something to a degree surpassing what others possess or are able to acquire.
She's always had a monopoly on our mother's attention.He seems to think he has a monopoly on charm and wit.
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