duopoly

noun

du·​op·​o·​ly du̇-ˈä-pə-lē 

also dyu̇-

plural duopolies

1

: an oligopoly limited to two sellers

2

: preponderant influence or control by two political powers

duopolistic

d(y)u̇-ˌä-pə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

Examples of duopoly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Conservative Party – the other half of the duopoly that has dominated British politics for more than a century – lost nearly 300 seats. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 8 May 2026

This question inadvertently shows that we are stuck in a mindset that the duopoly of Republicans and Democrats is the only way to organize our many different political opinions. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

That number will likely fall to two, raising concerns about an effective duopoly in a market that serves 63 million domestic travelers every year. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026

Abbott had a strong hand in creating the Texas Stock Exchange, launched in 2024, and has supported the creation of dual-listings venues from New York’s stock market duopoly, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. —Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

duo- + -poly (as in monopoly)

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for duopoly

• akali
• bengali
• diwali
• loblolly
• naphtali
• nepali
• secale
• somali
• colley
• collie
• dolly
• folly