Standard Lemma guide

monopoly

name · noun · 9 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.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: mənŏp'əlē
  • Received-Pronunciation: /məˈnɒpəli/
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American: mənä'pəlē
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American: /məˈnɑpəli/
  • California, Southern: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, dialectal: mənŏp'əlē of the US
  • Canada, dialectal: /məˈnɒpəli/ of the US
  • Australian: /məˈnɔpəli/
  • New-Zealand: /məˈnɒpəli/
  • New-Zealand: [məˈnɔ̟pəli]
  • South-Asia: /mono.poli/
  • South-Asia: /mɵˈnɔpɵli/
  • rhymes with -ɒpəli
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH0 N AA1 P AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A board game in which players use play money to buy and trade properties, with the objective of forcing opponents into bankruptcy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: board games

Examples

  • I was playing Monopoly with my friends at 12:00am last night.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A situation, by legal privilege or other agreement, in which solely one party (company, cartel etc.) exclusively provides a particular product or service, dominating that market and generally exerting powerful control over it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: monopsony, polypoly

3

noun

Meaning 3

An exclusive control over the trade or production of a commodity or service through exclusive possession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A land monopoly renders its holder(s) nearly almighty in an agricultural society.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The privilege granting the exclusive right to exert such control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Granting monopolies in concession constitutes a market-conform alternative to taxation for the state, while the crown sometimes bestowed a monopoly as an outrageous gift.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The market thus controlled.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: metonymically

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The holder (person, company or other) of such market domination in one of the above manners.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: metonymically

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: monopolist

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a board game in which players try to gain a monopoly on real estate as pieces advance around the board according to the throw of a die

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: board game

8

noun

Meaning 8

exclusive control or possession of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They have no monopoly on intelligence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dominance, ascendance, ascendence, ascendancy, ascendency, control

9

noun

Meaning 9

(economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a monopoly on silver
  • when you have a monopoly you can ask any price you like

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: market, marketplace, market place

Narrower terms: corner

History

Etymology

See monopoly.

From Latin monopōlium, from Ancient Greek μονοπώλιον (monopṓlion, “a right of exclusive sale”), from μόνος (mónos, “sole”) + πωλέω (pōléō, “to barter, sell”). By surface analysis, mono- + -poly.

Across languages

Translations

204 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Amharic: ሞኖፖሊ (monopoli) — a board game
  • Arabic: مونوبولي — a board game
  • Arabic: بنك الحظ — a board game
  • Armenian: Մոնոպոլիա (Monopolia) — a board game
  • Azerbaijani: Monopoliya — a board game
  • Basque: Monopoly — a board game
  • Bengali: একচেটিয়া (ekceṭiẏa) — a board game
  • Bulgarian: Монополи (Monopoli) — a board game
  • Burmese: မိုနိုပိုလီ (muinuipuili) — a board game
  • Chinese Cantonese: 大富翁 (daai6 fu3 jung1) — a board game
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地產大亨 /地产大亨 (dìchǎn dàhēng) — a board game
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大富翁 (dàfùwēng) — a board game
  • Czech: Monopoly — a board game
  • Danish: Matador — a board game
  • Dutch: Monopoly — a board game
  • Esperanto: Monopolo — a board game
  • Estonian: Monopol — a board game
  • Finnish: Monopoli — a board game
  • French: Monopoly — a board game
  • Galician: Monopoly — a board game
  • Georgian: მონოპოლური (monoṗoluri) — a board game
  • German: Monopoly — a board game
  • Greek: Μονοπώλιο (Monopólio) — a board game
  • Hebrew: מונופול — a board game
  • Hindi: नवा व्यापार (navā vyāpār) — a board game
  • Hungarian: Monopoly — a board game
  • Indonesian: Monopoli — a board game
  • Italian: Monopoli — a board game
  • Japanese: モノポリー — a board game
  • Khmer: ម៉ូណូប៉ូលី (mo no po li) — a board game
  • Korean: 모노폴리 (monopolli) — a board game
  • Latvian: Monopols — a board game
  • Lithuanian: Monopolis — a board game
  • Malay: Monopoly — a board game
  • Maltese: Monopoli — a board game
  • Mongolian: Саятан (Sajatan) — a board game
  • Norwegian Bokmål: Monopol — a board game
  • Persian: مونوپول — a board game
  • Polish: Monopoly — a board game
  • Portuguese: Banco Imobiliário — a board game
  • Portuguese: Monopólio — a board game
  • Portuguese: Monopoly — a board game
  • Romanian: Monopoly — a board game
  • Russian: монопо́лия (monopólija) — a board game
  • Serbo-Croatian: Монопол — a board game
  • Serbo-Croatian: Monopol — a board game
  • Slovak: Monopoly — a board game
  • Slovene: Monopoli — a board game
  • Spanish: Monopoly — a board game
  • Swahili: Ukiritimba — a board game
  • Swahili: Kumiliki — a board game
  • Swedish: Monopol — a board game
  • Tagalog: Monopolyo — a board game
  • Tamil: ஏகபோகம் (ēkapōkam) — a board game
  • Thai: เกมเศรษฐี — a board game
  • Turkish: Monopoly — a board game
  • Ukrainian: Монополія (Monopolija) — a board game
  • Urdu: موناپولی (monāpolī) — a board game
  • Vietnamese: Cờ Tỷ Phú — a board game
  • Yoruba: Anikanjọpọn — a board game
  • Albanian: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Arabic: اِحْتِكَار (iḥtikār) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Arabic: اِنْحِصَار (inḥiṣār) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Armenian: մենաշնորհ (menašnorh) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Azerbaijani: inhisar — situation of exclusive supply
  • Azerbaijani: monopoliya — situation of exclusive supply
  • Belarusian: манапо́лія (manapólija) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Bengali: একাধিকার (ekadhikar) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Bengali: একাধিপত্য (ekadhipotto) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Bulgarian: монопо́л (monopól) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Catalan: monopoli — situation of exclusive supply
  • Chinese Cantonese: 專賣 /专卖 (zyun1 maai6) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Chinese Mandarin: 專賣 /专卖 (zhuānmài) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Czech: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Danish: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Dutch: monopolie — situation of exclusive supply
  • Esperanto: monopolo — situation of exclusive supply
  • Estonian: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Finnish: monopoli — situation of exclusive supply
  • French: monopole — situation of exclusive supply
  • Galician: monopolio — situation of exclusive supply
  • Georgian: მონოპოლია (monoṗolia) — situation of exclusive supply
  • German: Monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Greek: μονοπώλιο (monopólio) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Gujarati: ઇજારો (ijāro) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Hebrew: מוֹנוֹפּוֹל (monopól) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Hindi: एकाधिकार (ekādhikār) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Hindi: एकाधिपत्य (ekādhipatya) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Hungarian: monopólium — situation of exclusive supply
  • Ido: monopolo — situation of exclusive supply
  • Indonesian: monopoli — situation of exclusive supply
  • Italian: monopolio — situation of exclusive supply
  • Japanese: 独占 (dokusen) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Japanese: 独り占め (hitorijime) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Japanese: 専売 (senbai) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Kazakh: монополия (monopoliä) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Khmer: ឯកាធិកម្ម (ʼaekaathikam) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Khmer: ឯកាធិភាព (ʼaekaathiphiəp) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Korean: 독점 (dokjeom) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Korean: 전매 (jeonmae) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Kyrgyz: монополия (monopoliya) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Lao: ການຜູກຂາດ (kān phūk khāt) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Latvian: monopols — situation of exclusive supply
  • Lithuanian: monopolija — situation of exclusive supply
  • Macedonian: монопол (monopol) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Malay: monopoli — situation of exclusive supply
  • Māori: mana tōtahi — situation of exclusive supply
  • Māori: mana tokitoki — situation of exclusive supply
  • Mongolian: монополь (monopolʹ) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Mongolian: ноёрхол (nojorxol) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Mongolian: ᠮᠣᠨᠣᠫᠣᠯᠢ (monopoli) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Mongolian: ᠨᠣᠶᠠᠷᠬᠠᠯ (noyarqal) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Norwegian Bokmål: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Pashto: انحصار (enhesār) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Dari: اِنْحِصَار (inhisār) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Iranian Persian: اِنْحِصار (enhesâr) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Polish: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Polish: samokupstwo — situation of exclusive supply
  • Polish: jednokupstwo — situation of exclusive supply
  • Portuguese: monopólio — situation of exclusive supply
  • Romanian: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Russian: монопо́лия (monopólija) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Sanskrit: एकाधिकार (ekādhikāra) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Serbo-Croatian: мо̏нопол — situation of exclusive supply
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȍnopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Slovak: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Slovene: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Spanish: monopolio — situation of exclusive supply
  • Swedish: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Tagalog: sarilakal — situation of exclusive supply
  • Tagalog: saritangi — situation of exclusive supply
  • Tagalog: monopolyo — situation of exclusive supply
  • Tajik: монополия (monopoliya) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Tajik: инҳисор (inhisor) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Thai: การผูกขาด (gaan-pùuk-kàat) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Turkish: tekel — situation of exclusive supply
  • Turkish: monopol — situation of exclusive supply
  • Turkmen: monopoliýa — situation of exclusive supply
  • Ukrainian: монопо́лія (monopólija) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Urdu: اِجارَہ داری (ijāra dārī) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Uyghur: مونوپول (monopol) — situation of exclusive supply
  • Uzbek: monopoliya — situation of exclusive supply
  • Vietnamese: sự độc quyền — situation of exclusive supply
  • Yoruba: anikanjọpọn — situation of exclusive supply
  • Armenian: մենաշնորհ (menašnorh) — exclusive possession
  • Bulgarian: монопо́л (monopól) — exclusive possession
  • Catalan: monopoli — exclusive possession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 獨占 /獨占 /独占 (dúzhàn) — exclusive possession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 壟斷 /垄断 (lǒngduàn) — exclusive possession
  • Czech: monopol — exclusive possession
  • Danish: monopol — exclusive possession
  • Dutch: monopolie — exclusive possession
  • Dutch: alleenbezit — exclusive possession
  • Finnish: monopoli — exclusive possession
  • Galician: monopolio — exclusive possession
  • Greek: μονοπώλιο (monopólio) — exclusive possession
  • Ancient Greek: μονοπώλιον (monopṓlion) — exclusive possession
  • Indonesian: monopoli — exclusive possession
  • Māori: mana tokitoki — exclusive possession
  • Polish: monopol — exclusive possession
  • Portuguese: monopólio — exclusive possession
  • Russian: монопо́лия (monopólija) — exclusive possession
  • Scottish Gaelic: aon-mhargadh — exclusive possession
  • Spanish: monopolio — exclusive possession
  • Tagalog: sarilakal — exclusive possession
  • Tagalog: saritangi — exclusive possession
  • Bulgarian: монопо́л (monopól) — privilege granting such control
  • Catalan: monopoli — privilege granting such control
  • Chinese Mandarin: 專賣 /专卖 (zhuānmài) — privilege granting such control
  • Czech: monopolní postavení — privilege granting such control
  • Danish: monopol — privilege granting such control
  • Dutch: monopolie — privilege granting such control
  • Dutch: alleenrecht — privilege granting such control
  • Galician: monopolio — privilege granting such control
  • Ancient Greek: μονοπώλιον (monopṓlion) — privilege granting such control
  • Indonesian: monopoli — privilege granting such control
  • Polish: monopol — privilege granting such control
  • Portuguese: monopólio — privilege granting such control
  • Scottish Gaelic: aon-mhargadh — privilege granting such control
  • Spanish: monopolio — privilege granting such control
  • Swedish: monopol — privilege granting such control
  • Bulgarian: монопо́л (monopól) — market thus controlled
  • Catalan: monopoli — market thus controlled
  • Danish: monopol — market thus controlled
  • Dutch: monopolie — market thus controlled
  • Finnish: monopoli — market thus controlled
  • Galician: monopolio — market thus controlled
  • Greek: μονοπώλιο (monopólio) — market thus controlled
  • Indonesian: monopoli — market thus controlled
  • Polish: monopol — market thus controlled
  • Portuguese: monopólio — market thus controlled
  • Russian: монопо́лия (monopólija) — market thus controlled
  • Bulgarian: монополи́ст (monopolíst) — holder of such control
  • Czech: monopol — holder of such control
  • Danish: monopolist — holder of such control
  • Dutch: monopolist — holder of such control
  • Galician: monopolista — holder of such control
  • Ancient Greek: μονοπώλιον (monopṓlion) — holder of such control
  • Polish: monopolista — holder of such control
  • Polish: monopolistka — holder of such control
  • Russian: монополи́ст (monopolíst) — holder of such control
  • Russian: монополи́стка (monopolístka) — holder of such control
  • Scottish Gaelic: lèir-shealbhachd — holder of such control
  • Spanish: monopolista — holder of such control
Real reading context

monopoly in complete knowledge articles