Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
oligopoly
noun
/ ol-i-GOP-uh-lee /
Medium
Meaning
A market dominated by a small number of large sellers, whose decisions on price and output are interdependent.
Origin / Etymology
From Greek 'oligoi' (few) and 'polein' (to sell).
Synonyms
market concentration
duopoly
few sellers
dominant bloc
Antonyms
perfect competition
monopoly
fragmentation
open market
Example Sentence
"The telecom sector had consolidated into an oligopoly of three private players after years of tariff wars."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Relevant to GS Paper 3 on market structures and competition policy. Use it to analyse concentration in telecom, aviation, and digital platforms, and the role of the Competition Commission of India in preventing abuse of dominance and predatory pricing.
Relevant Subjects
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