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Synonyms

cartel

American  
[kahr-tel] / kɑrˈtɛl /

noun

  1. an international syndicate, combine, or trust formed especially to regulate prices and output in some field of business.

    Synonyms:
    combination, merger, monopoly
  2. a coalition of political or special-interest groups having a common cause, as to encourage the passage of a certain law.

  3. a written agreement between belligerents, especially for the exchange of prisoners.

  4. a written challenge to a duel.


cartel British  
/ kɑːˈtɛl /

noun

  1. Also called: trust.  a collusive international association of independent enterprises formed to monopolize production and distribution of a product or service, control prices, etc

  2. politics an alliance of parties or interests to further common aims

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cartel Cultural  
  1. An association in which producers of a similar or identical product try to obtain a monopoly over the sale of the product.


Discover More

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a cartel.

Other Word Forms

  • cartelism noun

Etymology

Origin of cartel

1550–60; < Middle French < Italian cartello letter of defiance, poster, equivalent to cart ( a ) carte + -ello diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While higher prices might seem a boon for OPEC+ countries, it in fact carries the risk of increasing competition from producers outside the cartel, such as the United States, Canada and Brazil.

From Barron's

Venezuela was once a major crude supplier to the United States, and has the world's largest proven reserves with more than 303 billion barrels, according to global oil cartel OPEC.

From Barron's

Analysts had expected the Saudi Arabia-led cartel to agree Sunday to boost output from April.

From The Wall Street Journal

A combination of overwhelming force and U.S. intelligence helped Mexico kill the cartel boss known as El Mencho.

From The Wall Street Journal

The inner workings of cartels are intentionally opaque to the outside world.

From Los Angeles Times