Standard Lemma guide

monopolize

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /məˈnɒpəlʌɪz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH0 N AA1 P AH0 L AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To have a monopoly on something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To dominate or to get total control of something by excluding everyone else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Teachers try not to let any one student monopolize a class discussion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

have or exploit a monopoly of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • OPEC wants to monopolize oil

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: monopolise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: have, have got, hold

4

verb

Meaning 4

have and control fully and exclusively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He monopolizes the laser printer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: monopolise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: control, command

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English monopoly Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English monopolize From monopoly + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِحْتَكَرَ (iḥtakara) — have a monopoly
  • Armenian: մենաշնորհել (menašnorhel) — have a monopoly
  • Bulgarian: монополизирам (monopoliziram) — have a monopoly
  • Catalan: monopolitzar — have a monopoly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 壟斷 /垄断 (lǒngduàn) — have a monopoly
  • Danish: monopolisere — have a monopoly
  • Dutch: monopoliseren — have a monopoly
  • Finnish: monopolisoida — have a monopoly
  • Finnish: olla monopoli — have a monopoly
  • French: monopoliser — have a monopoly
  • French: accaparer — have a monopoly
  • Galician: monopolizar — have a monopoly
  • German: monopolisieren — have a monopoly
  • Italian: monopolizzare — have a monopoly
  • Lao: ຜູກຂາດ (phūk khāt) — have a monopoly
  • Māori: makitaunu — have a monopoly
  • Portuguese: monopolizar — have a monopoly
  • Russian: монополизи́ровать (monopolizírovatʹ) — have a monopoly
  • Spanish: monopolizar — have a monopoly
  • Swedish: monopolisera — have a monopoly
  • Thai: ผูกขาด (pùuk-kàat) — have a monopoly
  • Armenian: մենաշնորհել (menašnorhel) — dominate
  • Catalan: monopolitzar — dominate
  • Dutch: opkopen — dominate
  • Finnish: dominoida — dominate
  • Finnish: hallita — dominate
  • French: accaparer — dominate
  • Galician: monopolizar — dominate
  • German: monopolisieren — dominate
  • German: beherrschen — dominate
  • Italian: monopolizzare — dominate
  • Māori: makitaunu — dominate
  • Portuguese: monopolizar — dominate
  • Spanish: monopolizar — dominate
  • Spanish: acaparar — dominate