oligopoly

noun

ol·​i·​gop·​o·​ly ˌä-lə-ˈgä-pə-lē 

ˌō-

: a market situation in which each of a few producers affects but does not control the market

oligopolist

ˌä-lə-ˈgä-pə-list 

ˌō-

noun

oligopolistic

ˌä-lə-ˌgä-pə-ˈli-stik 

ˌō-

adjective

Examples of oligopoly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a media system that has veered back to following Hollywood’s yellow brick rules of the road, the new oligopolies are an awful lot like the old ones. —Matthew Jordan, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025

The result is regional oligopolies and closures of rural hospitals. —Kim-Lien Nguyen, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025

Most large sectors – airliners, steel, automobiles, motor fuels, locomotives, chemicals – are oligopolies. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2025

In 1934, in tune with the outlook of FDR’s New Deal, the 1927 act was replaced with more expansive legislation giving the commission greater power and purview, including over the hegemonic AT&T, the telephone oligopoly. —Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

olig- + -poly (as in monopoly)

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oligopoly

• trichinopoly
• antimonopoly
• monopoly

Legal Definition

oligopoly

noun

ol·​i·​gop·​o·​ly ˌä-li-ˈgä-pə-lē, ˌō- 

plural oligopolies

: a condition in which a few sellers dominate a particular market to the detriment of competition by others