Meaning & use
antitrust
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounbusinesslaw
Relating to laws that stop companies from controlling a market unfairly and keep competition open.
Grammar: Used before a noun: antitrust law, antitrust case. Not used after a verb.
Patterns
- antitrust law
- antitrust case
- antitrust investigation
The government brought an antitrust case against the tech giant.
Antitrust laws aim to prevent one company from dominating the entire industry.
The merger was blocked on antitrust grounds.
Common combinations
- antitrust law
- Antitrust law is designed to protect consumers by promoting competition.
- antitrust violation
- The company was fined for an antitrust violation.
- antitrust authorities
- Antitrust authorities in Europe are reviewing the deal.
- antitrust suit
- The small business filed an antitrust suit against the supplier.
Synonyms and how they differ
- competition law
- Competition law is the term used in many countries outside the US for the same area of law; antitrust is the American term.
- monopoly law
- Monopoly law is a less common, narrower term focusing on monopolies; antitrust covers a wider range of unfair business practices.
Word family
- trust noun
- In business, a trust is a group of companies that work together to control prices and reduce competition.
Commonly confused: antitrust or anti-trust?
antitrust vs anti-trust
The spelling with a hyphen is less common but sometimes seen; the standard spelling is 'antitrust' without a hyphen.
Practice
The government filed an antitrust ___ against the company for trying to control the market.
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'antitrust case' is a common collocation meaning a legal case about antitrust. 'Antitrust suit' is also possible, but 'case' is the most general and natural here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “antitrust”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.