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Webster 1913 Edition

Monopoly

Mo-nop′o-ly

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Monopolies
(#)
.
[L.
monopolium
, Gr. [GREEK], [GREEK];
μόνοσ
alone + [GREEK] to sell.]
1.
The exclusive power, or privilege of selling a commodity; the exclusive power, right, or privilege of dealing in some article, or of trading in some market; sole command of the traffic in anything, however obtained;
as, the proprietor of a patented article is given a
monopoly
of its sale for a limited time; chartered trading companies have sometimes had a
monopoly
of trade with remote regions; a combination of traders may get a
monopoly
of a particular product.
Raleigh held a
monopoly
of cards, Essex a
monopoly
of sweet wines.
Macaulay.
2.
Exclusive possession;
as, a
monopoly
of land
.
If I had a
monopoly
out, they would have part on ’t.
Shakespeare
3.
The commodity or other material thing to which the monopoly relates;
as, tobacco is a
monopoly
in France
.
[Colloq.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Monopoly

MONOP'OLY

,
Noun.
[L.monopolium.] The sole power of vending any species of goods, obtained either by engrossing the articles in market by purchase, or by a license from the government confirming this privilege. Thus the East India Company in Great Britain has a monopoly of the trade to the East Indies, granted to them by charter. Monopolies by individuals obtained by engrossing, are an offense prohibited by law. But a man has by natural right the exclusive power of vending his own produce or manufactures,and to retain that exclusive right is not a monopoly within the meaning of law.

Definition 2024

Monopoly

Monopoly

See also: monopoly

English

Proper noun

Monopoly

  1. A board game in which players use play money to buy and trade properties, with the objective of forcing opponents into bankruptcy.

Translations

External links

monopoly

monopoly

See also: Monopoly

English

Noun

monopoly ‎(plural monopolies)

  1. A situation, by legal privilege or other agreement, in which solely one party (company, cartel etc.) exclusively provides a particular product or service, dominating that market and generally exerting powerful control over it.
    • 2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.
  2. An exclusive control over the trade or production of a commodity or service through exclusive possession.
    A land monopoly renders its holder(s) nearly almighty in an agricultural society.‎
  3. The privilege granting the exclusive right to exert such control.
    Granting monopolies in concession constitutes a market-conform alternative to taxation for the state, while the crown sometimes bestowed a monopoly as an outrageous gift.‎
  4. (metonymically) The market thus controlled.
  5. (metonymically) The holder (person, company or other) of such market domination in one of the the above manners.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Czech

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmonopolɪ/

Noun

monopoly

  1. nominative plural of monopol
  2. accusative plural of monopol
  3. vocative plural of monopol
  4. instrumental plural of monopol

Spanish

Noun

monopoly m ‎(uncountable)

  1. Monopoly (board game)

Etymology

From Latin monopōlium, from Ancient Greek μονοπώλιον ‎(monopṓlion, “a right of exclusive sale”), from μόνος ‎(mónos, “sole”) + πωλέω ‎(pōléō, “I barter, sell”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: mənŏ'pəlē", IPA(key): /məˈnɒpəˌli/
  • (US) enPR: mənä'pəlē", IPA(key): /məˈnɑpəˌli/

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