MONOPOLY

Monopoly

(noun) a board game in which players try to gain a monopoly on real estate as pieces advance around the board according to the throw of a die

monopoly

(noun) exclusive control or possession of something; “They have no monopoly on intelligence”

monopoly

(noun) (economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller; “a monopoly on silver”; “when you have a monopoly you can ask any price you like”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

monopoly (plural monopolies)

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.

Antonym: monopsony

Coordinate terms: duopoly, oligopoly

An exclusive control over the trade or production of a commodity or service through exclusive possession.

The privilege granting the exclusive right to exert such control.

(metonymy) The market thus controlled.

(metonymy) The holder (person, company or other) of such market domination in one of the above manners.

Synonym: monopolist

Proper noun

Monopoly

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

Source: Wiktionary


Mo*nop"o*ly, n.; pl. Monopolies. Etym: [L. monopolium, Gr.

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. Shak.

3. The commodity or other material thing to which the monopoly relates; as, tobacco is a monopoly in France. [Colloq.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

30 April 2024

NURSE

(verb) treat carefully; “He nursed his injured back by lying in bed several hours every afternoon”; “He nursed the flowers in his garden and fertilized them regularly”


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Coffee Trivia

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