duopoly

noun

du·​op·​o·​ly du̇-ˈä-pə-lē How to pronounce duopoly (audio)
 also  dyu̇-
plural duopolies
1
: an oligopoly limited to two sellers
2
: preponderant influence or control by two political powers
duopolistic adjective

Examples of duopoly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Conservatives have argued the test, developed in 2015, is needed to break the duopoly the SAT and ACT have on the market, while opponents worry about the rigor of the exam and the lack of historical data to support its ability to test college readiness. Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 23 Sep. 2025 And with the aircraft manufacturing industry effectively a duopoly between Boeing and Airbus, options are limited. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025 The longer and more entrenched duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal offers a counterpoint. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 The duopoly of the great auction houses is a codependency on which the rest of the sixty-five-billion-dollar art market relies. Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for duopoly

Word History

Etymology

duo- + -poly (as in monopoly)

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of duopoly was in 1920

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Cite this Entry

“Duopoly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duopoly. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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