oligopoly

noun

ol·​i·​gop·​o·​ly ˌä-lə-ˈgä-pə-lē How to pronounce oligopoly (audio)
ˌō-
: a market situation in which each of a few producers affects but does not control the market
oligopolist noun
oligopolistic adjective

Examples of oligopoly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These fall along a continuum from only one company in a market to thousands, but generally divide into four general groups of market behaviors: perfect competition, oligopolies, monopolistic competition and pure monopoly. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025 The industry is highly concentrated, an oligopoly with Cognizant competing against major players such as Accenture, Infosys and Capgemini. Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025 Drug and medical-device manufacturers, hospitals in a metro area and health managers like UnitedHealth, Cigna or HCA are oligopolies. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025 Indigenous innovation stalled, as monopolies and oligopolies captured the benefits of government protections and created a bevy of multimillionaires and billionaires. Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020 See All Example Sentences for oligopoly

Word History

Etymology

olig- + -poly (as in monopoly)

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oligopoly was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Oligopoly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligopoly. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Legal Definition

oligopoly

noun
ol·​i·​gop·​o·​ly ˌä-li-ˈgä-pə-lē, ˌō- How to pronounce oligopoly (audio)
plural oligopolies
: a condition in which a few sellers dominate a particular market to the detriment of competition by others

More from Merriam-Webster on oligopoly

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