oligopoly
noun
ol·i·gop·o·ly
ˌä-lə-ˈgä-pə-lē 
ˌō-
: a market situation in which each of a few producers affects but does not control the market
Examples of oligopoly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apple could miss the quarter because of the oligopoly and be revealed to be too expensive a stock.
—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
28 June 2026
The biggest hurdle for this nascent market is that compute is an oligopoly and the oligopolists are doing just fine.
—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
26 May 2026
Without competition, market power persists as either a monopoly (control by one firm) or an oligopoly (control by a few).
—
Mordecai Kurz,
Time,
20 Apr. 2026
Golf manufacturing is essentially a four-company oligopoly built on pouring money into research and development with the hopes of finding the next big thing.
—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oligopoly
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Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
28 June 2026
The biggest hurdle for this nascent market is that compute is an oligopoly and the oligopolists are doing just fine.
—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
26 May 2026
Without competition, market power persists as either a monopoly (control by one firm) or an oligopoly (control by a few).
—
Mordecai Kurz,
Time,
20 Apr. 2026
Golf manufacturing is essentially a four-company oligopoly built on pouring money into research and development with the hopes of finding the next big thing.
—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oligopoly
Cite this Entry
“Oligopoly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligopoly. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
oligopoly
noun
ol·i·gop·o·ly
ˌä-li-ˈgä-pə-lē, ˌō-
plural oligopolies
: a condition in which a few sellers dominate a particular market to the detriment of competition by others
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