mo·nop·o·ly (m -n p -l )n. pl. mo·nop·o·lies 1. Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service: "Monopoly frequently ... arises from government support or from collusive agreements among individuals" Milton Friedman. 2. Law A right granted by a government giving exclusive control over a specified commercial activity to a single party. 3. a. A company or group having exclusive control over a commercial activity. b. A commodity or service so controlled. 4. a. Exclusive possession or control: arrogantly claims to have a monopoly on the truth. b. Something that is exclusively possessed or controlled: showed that scientific achievement is not a male monopoly.
[Latin monop lium, from Greek monop lion : mono-, mono- + p lein, to sell; see pel-4 in Indo-European roots.]
mo·nop o·lism n. mo·nop o·list n. mo·nop o·lis tic adj. mo·nop o·lis ti·cal·ly adv. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adj. | 1. | monopolistic - having exclusive control over a commercial activity by possession or legal grantnoncompetitive - not involving competition or competitiveness; "noncompetitive positions"; "noncompetitive interest in games" |