Basic Details
Word: Monopoly
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Complete control of the supply of a product or service by one company or group, so that nobody else can compete.
Synonyms: control, domination
Antonyms: competition
Word origin: Comes from Greek monos, 'alone', and polein, 'to sell'.
How to Spell Monopoly
Syllables: mo - nop - o - ly
Tricky part: There is a single l before the y, and the vowel after the n is o, not a. Many students write monopolly or monapoly.
Watch out for: monopolly, monapoly, monoply
Memory tip: Split it into two chunks you can already spell, mono and poly, as in monorail and polygon. Only the spelling matches polygon; in this word the poly part comes from a Greek word for selling.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In the old days the post office had a monopoly on sending letters.
Example 2: We played Monopoly all afternoon during the summer holidays.
Example 3: No single seller should have a monopoly on medicines that people need every day.
Fun Fact
The board game Monopoly grew out of The Landlord's Game, patented by Lizzie Magie in 1904 to show the problems of letting a few landlords own everything.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. monopolly 2. auction 3. commerce 4. merchant
a) the buying and selling of goods
b) a person who buys and sells goods
c) a public sale where goods go to the highest bidder
d) complete control of a trade by one seller
Show answer
d) complete control of a trade by one seller. Monopolly carries an extra l; the word ends with a single l before the y.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word monopoly as used in the sentence:
For many years the state railway had a monopoly on long-distance travel in the country.
a) competition
b) control
c) domination
d) ownership
Show answer
a) competition. When rivals compete, no one holds the whole trade, so competition is the opposite.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
When the only bus company in the hill town held a monapoly on every route, fares kept rising each year and passengers could only complain.
a) company
b) complain
c) route
d) monapoly
Show answer
d) monapoly. The vowel after the n is o, the same o as in mono.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A company with a monopoly on salt would ____.
a) be the only seller of salt
b) sell salt cheaply
c) export salt
d) buy salt from farmers
Show answer
a) be the only seller of salt
2. Which of these situations is closest to a monopoly?
a) one firm supplies all the electricity in a state
b) five bakeries sell bread on the same street
c) many farmers sell mangoes at one market
d) two airlines fly the same route every day
Show answer
a) one firm supplies all the electricity in a state
