Monopoly

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28/12/2025

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1. Definition + Rich Everyday Explanation

Monopoly (noun) ( mı na: pı li ) = a situation where one company or person controls the entire market for a product or service, preventing competition; exclusive ownership or control of something; OR a popular board game about buying properties and bankrupting opponents.

Picture one giant store owning every shop in town — no choices, higher prices, total control. That’s a monopoly in business: when competition vanishes and one player dominates. People hate real-life monopolies because they stifle innovation and exploit customers, but everyone loves the board game Monopoly, where you ruthlessly buy streets, build hotels, and drive friends to bankruptcy over fake money. The word screams “no rivals, total power.”

MEANING 1: Market Dominance / No Competition (Noun) — VERY COMMON

The powerhouse everyday used in business, economics, and news: when a single company controls nearly all sales of a product or service. Governments break up monopolies with antitrust laws to protect consumers. Tech giants get accused of monopolies when they squash smaller rivals. This meaning feels negative — monopolies lead to high prices, poor quality, and fewer choices.

📌 Vivid example:
Every billboard in town carries the same logo, every phone plan comes from the same provider, and every complaint ends with the same scripted apology. When service fails again, people grumble but still pay their bills, quietly aware that the company’s monopoly has erased the idea of choice altogether.

MEANING 2: Board Game (Noun) — VERY COMMON

The fun, cultural icon: a family board game where players buy properties, charge rent, and aim to bankrupt others. Released in 1935, it has sold over 275 million copies worldwide. People say “Let’s play Monopoly” for game nights — it often sparks fights but creates memories. This use is neutral-to-positive in casual talk.

📌 Vivid example:
By the end of the night, the board is crowded with tiny green houses and red hotels, and one player sits grinning as everyone else counts their last bills. What started as a friendly game of Monopoly has turned into loud arguments, laughter, and a dramatic final bankruptcy.

MEANING 3: Exclusive Control / Ownership (Noun)

Broader sense: total control over something valuable. A singer has a monopoly on talent in a band; a kid claims a monopoly over the TV remote. Often metaphorical for dominance in any area, like “He has a monopoly on good ideas here.”

📌 Vivid example:
During meetings, every creative decision seems to pass through him, and whenever someone suggests an idea, he reshapes it and claims it as his own, slowly building a monopoly over influence in the group.

Examples from the street:

“Google has a monopoly on search engines” → one company dominates the field, few real competitors
“Monopoly night always ends in arguments” → game evening turns competitive and heated
“She has a monopoly on the best desserts” → no one else makes treats as good as hers

2. Most Common Patterns

Monopoly as market dominance — VERY COMMON:

have / hold a monopoly (on / over / in) → control the entire market
break up / bust a monopoly → end dominance through laws or competition
state / government monopoly → control by authorities
monopoly power / position → ability to dictate prices/terms

Monopoly as board game — VERY COMMON:

play Monopoly → participate in the game
Monopoly board / game → the physical set

Monopoly as exclusive control:

a monopoly on + noun → sole possession/control

3. Phrasal Verbs

Note: “Monopoly” doesn’t form common phrasal verbs — these are related expressions:

corner the market → gain monopoly control over supply
Example: “They cornered the market on rare coins and doubled their money.”
dominate the market → control most sales like a monopoly
Example: “Apple dominates the smartphone market with sleek designs.”
lock in customers → create monopoly-like loyalty
Example: “Free apps lock in customers who can’t switch easily.”

4. Example Sentences

Microsoft once held a monopoly on operating systems in the 1990s
→ The tech firm controlled nearly all computer software sales back then.
The government plans to break up the energy monopoly
→ Officials aim to dismantle the single provider dominating power supply.
We love playing Monopoly on rainy weekends
→ The family enjoys the property-trading game during stormy days.
Amazon has a virtual monopoly on online book sales
→ The retailer controls almost every digital bookstore transaction.
He has a complete monopoly on office gossip
→ Nobody knows workplace rumors better than him.
The state monopoly on alcohol keeps prices high
→ Government control over liquor sales maintains elevated costs.
The Monopoly board is missing the top hat piece
→ The game’s playing surface lacks one token figurine.
Regulators worry about Big Tech’s growing monopoly power
→ Watchdogs fear massive firms’ ability to set unfair terms.
Coca-Cola enjoyed a near-monopoly position for decades
→ The soda brand ruled sales without serious challengers for years.
Kids fought over who got the Monopoly game first
→ Children argued about taking turns with the property board set.

5. Personal Examples

Textbooks often create a monopoly on grammar rules in class — students rely only on one source, missing real-life variety
→ Course books dominate explanations of structures — learners depend solely on them, overlooking everyday usage.
One app shouldn’t hold a monopoly on language learning — mixing Duolingo with conversations builds better skills
→ No single program should control study methods — combining apps with talks improves proficiency.

6. Register: Neutral to Formal

✔ Native usage tips

Business monopoly talk is negative — people say “monopolistic practices” for shady tactics like undercutting rivals
The game Monopoly is a cultural staple — “It’s like Monopoly, but with real money” jokes about cutthroat business
“Monopoly money” means fake or worthless cash — “They threw monopoly money at the problem”
Antitrust cases (US) or competition law (UK) target monopolies — “The FTC busted the monopoly”
Casual: “He has the monopoly on dad jokes” — fun dominance, not business
British/American same, but US has more “monopoly” lawsuits due to Sherman Act