monopolistic

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Controlling or trying to control all or most of the supply of a product or service, so that other businesses cannot compete fairly.

   Grammar: Describes a market, company, or practice; it is not usually used with 'more' or 'most'.

   Patterns

   • monopolistic company
   • monopolistic market
   • monopolistic practices
   • monopolistic control over something

   The government accused the airline of monopolistic behavior after it bought its main rival.

   In a monopolistic market, one seller can set prices without much worry about competitors.

   Small shops struggled to survive against the monopolistic power of the big supermarket chains.

2. 2adjectivenot comparabletechnicalbusiness

   Relating to a market structure in which many sellers offer similar but slightly different products, so each has some control over its own price.

   Grammar: Used mainly in economics; it describes competition rather than a single seller.

   Patterns

   • monopolistic competition
   • monopolistic market structure

   Monopolistic competition is common in industries like restaurants, where each business offers a slightly different product.

   In their economics course, they compared perfect competition with monopolistic competition.

   The textbook explains how firms under monopolistic competition use advertising to attract customers.

Common combinations

monopolistic behavior

Regulators investigated the tech giant for monopolistic behavior.

monopolistic power

The company used its monopolistic power to push smaller suppliers out.

monopolistic practices

New laws were introduced to stop monopolistic practices in the energy sector.

monopolistic competition

Monopolistic competition describes a market with many similar but not identical products.

Synonyms and how they differ

anti-competitive

Focuses on actions that unfairly reduce competition, while monopolistic focuses on controlling supply or dominating a market.

restrictive

Means limiting freedom or choice in general; monopolistic is specifically about market control.

Opposites

Word family

monopoly noun

A situation in which one company or group controls all or nearly all of a market.

monopolist noun

A person or company that has or seeks a monopoly.

monopolize verb

To control something completely or take it all for yourself.

monopolization noun

The act of gaining complete control of a market or activity.

Commonly confused: monopolistic or monotonous?

Practice

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