monopoly English · revision 16180

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1534, Thomas More|origins=grc μονοπώλιον}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /məˈnɒpəli/, /məˈnɑpəli/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|monopōlium|t=exclusive right of sale]],^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2024) from [[grc|μονοπώλιον|tr=monopṓlion|t=right of exclusive sale]] (compare [[m|grc|μονοπωλία|tr=monopōlía]]),^(OED 2026)^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024) from [[m|grc|μόνος|tr=mónos|t=alone, single]] and [[m|grc|πωλέω|tr=pōléō|t=to sell]],^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)^(AHD 2024) from [[ine-pro|*pel-|t=to sell]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2024)^(Klein 1966) The form [[monopole]], from French, was common in the 16th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Exclusive possession or control of the trade in a commodity: 1534, in Sir Thomas More.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Tudor and Stuart England a ''monopoly'' was often a privilege granted by the Crown to sell a commodity or trade with a region (from 1578),^(OED 2026)^(HTOED) and the word was also used for the crime of [[engrossing]] in the 17th century.^(OED 2026) The extended sense, exclusive possession of anything, is from 1610,^(OED 2026)^(HTOED) with Etymonline dating it by the 1640s;^(Etymonline) the commodity under monopoly is from 1713,^(OED 2026) and a company that holds one from 1871.^(OED 2026)^(HTOED) The board game ''Monopoly'' is a proprietary name from 1934.^(OED 2026)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1534 – exclusive control of a trade.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1578 – a privilege granted by the state.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1601 – ''[[monopolist]]''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1610 – exclusive possession of anything.^(OED 2026)^(HTOED)

+ * 1611 – ''[[monopolize]]''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1871 – a company holding a monopoly.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1934 – the board game.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Exclusive control of the supply of a [[commodity]] or service in a market, allowing control of prices.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A company or group that has such control, or a commodity controlled in this way.^(AHD 2024)^(OED 2026)

+ # Exclusive possession or control of anything: ''no one has a monopoly on wisdom''.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A right granted by a government to be the only seller of something.^(AHD 2024)^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[monopolism]]

+ * [[monopolist]]

+ * [[monopolistic]]

+ * [[monopolistically]]

+ * [[monopoloid]]

+ * [[antimonopoly]]

+ * [[premonopoly]]

+ * [[promonopoly]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[monopole]]

+ * [[oligopoly]]

+ * [[bibliopole]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}