monopolist
C1Formal, Academic, Business, Journalistic
Definition
Meaning
A person or company that has exclusive control over the supply or trade in a commodity or service, preventing competition.
More broadly, any individual, group, or entity that dominates or seeks to dominate a particular field, market, or area of activity to the exclusion of others. Can be used figuratively outside of economics (e.g., in politics, culture).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term inherently carries a negative connotation, implying unfair dominance, anti-competitive practices, and harm to consumer choice. It is often used in legal, economic, and critical discourse.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Spelling follows regional norms (e.g., 'monopolise' vs. 'monopolize' for the verb).
Connotations
Identical negative connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English due to prominent antitrust (anti-monopoly) legal history and discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[monopolist] + of + [market/industry][monopolist] + in + [market/industry]accuse + [sb] + of being + a [monopolist]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not commonly used in idioms. The concept is more technical.]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Criticising a competitor's anti-competitive practices: 'The regulator is investigating the tech giant for acting as a monopolist.'
Academic
Analysing market structures: 'The classical model assumes the monopolist is a profit maximiser.'
Everyday
Complaining about a lack of choice:
Technical
In law or economics: 'The case established a new test for determining when a firm is a dangerous monopolist.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The company was accused of seeking to monopolise the entire supply chain.
- He has a tendency to monopolise the conversation at dinner parties.
American English
- The lawsuit claims the tech firm illegally monopolized the social media market.
- Don't let one topic monopolize the entire meeting agenda.
adjective
British English
- The commission ruled against the firm's monopolistic practices.
- There were concerns about the monopolistic tendencies of the nationalised industry.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- A company with no competition is called a monopoly, and its owner is a monopolist. (Simplified definition)
- Many people think the big tech company is a monopolist because it controls most of the online market.
- The government does not allow a single business to be a monopolist in important industries.
- The railway company, as the sole monopolist, was able to set prices much higher than in a competitive market.
- Critics accused the media mogul of being a monopolist who stifled diverse viewpoints.
- The theoretical monopolist faces a downward-sloping demand curve, unlike a perfectly competitive firm.
- Her thesis analysed the strategies employed by the 19th-century oil monopolist to eliminate rivals and consolidate power.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a MONO (one) POLIST (like a politician controlling a city). One controller of the entire market.
Conceptual Metaphor
MARKET IS A TERRITORY / MONOPOLIST IS A CONQUEROR or MONOPOLIST IS A GIANT / OTHER COMPANIES ARE DWARFS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'монополист' – this is a direct cognate with identical meaning, so no trap exists for the noun itself. The trap is in related forms: 'monopoly' = 'монополия', but 'monopolize' (verb) is 'монополизировать', not a direct noun-to-verb shift.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'monopoly' to refer to the person/company (correct: 'monopolist'). Confusing 'monopolist' (agent noun) with 'monopoly' (the state or the company itself). Incorrect: 'Google is a monopoly in search.' (Better: 'Google has a monopoly...' or 'Google is a monopolist...').
Practice
Quiz
In antitrust law, what is the primary concern regarding a monopolist?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'monopoly' is the situation or the state of exclusive control, or it can refer to the company that has that control. A 'monopolist' specifically refers to the person, company, or entity that possesses or exercises that monopoly power.
In modern economic and legal discourse, yes, it carries a strongly negative connotation. It implies anti-competitive and often exploitative behaviour. In historical contexts, it might be used more neutrally to describe a dominant firm.
Yes. A state-owned enterprise that is the sole legal provider of a service (like postal services or utilities in some countries) is considered a government monopolist or a state monopolist.
A perfectly competitive market, where many firms compete, and no single seller has significant influence over the price. Other structures include oligopoly (a few dominant sellers) and monopolistic competition (many sellers with differentiated products).