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monopoly |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Monopoly \Mo*nop"o*ly\, n.; pl {Monopolies}. [L. monopolium, Gr ?, ?; mo`nos alone + ? to sell.] 1. The exclusive power, or privilege of selling a commodity; the exclusive power, right or privilege of dealing in some article, or of trading in some market; sole command of the traffic in anything however obtained; as the proprietor of a patented article is given a monopoly of its sale for a limited time; chartered trading companies have sometimes had a monopoly of trade with remote regions; a combination of traders may get a monopoly of a particular product. Raleigh held a monopoly of cards, Essex a monopoly of sweet wines. --Macaulay. 2. Exclusive possession; as a monopoly of land. If I had a monopoly out they would have part on 't. --Shak. 3. The commodity or other material thing to which the monopoly relates; as tobacco is a monopoly in France. [Colloq.] From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: monopoly n 1: (economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller; "a monopoly on silver"; "when you have a monopoly you can ask any price you like" 2: exclusive control or possession of something "They have no monopoly on intelligence" 3: (trademark) 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 [syn: {Monopoly}]
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