oligopoly

[ ol-i-gop-uh-lee ]
/ ˌɒl ɪˈgɒp ə li /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR oligopoly ON THESAURUS.COM

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).

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/, adjective

Words nearby oligopoly

oligonucleotide, oligopeptide, oligophagous, oligophrenia, oligopnea, oligopoly, oligopsony, oligoptyalism, oligoria, oligosaccharide, oligospermia

Words related to oligopoly

patent, trust, cartel, holding, ownership, syndicate, proprietorship, corner, pool, copyright, consortium, possessorship

Example sentences from the Web for 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, adjective

Word Origin for oligopoly

C20: from oligo- + Greek pōlein to sell, on the model of monopoly

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.