duopoly

American

[doo-op-uh-lee, dyoo-] / duˈɒp ə li, dyu- /

noun

plural

duopolies

the market condition that exists when there are only two sellers.

duopoly British

/ ˌdjʊɒpəˈlɪstɪk, djʊˈɒpəlɪ /

noun

a situation in which control of a commodity or service in a particular market is vested in just two producers or suppliers

"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

Other Word Forms

duopolistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of duopoly

First recorded in 1915–20; duo- + (mono)poly

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 the district of Gorton and Denton in northern England isn’t the country as a whole, the Thursday election offers a glimpse of trends that are reshaping British politics and spell trouble for the Conservatives and Labour, the political duopoly that has dominated U.K. politics for a century.

From The Wall Street Journal

Asked if Ferguson was rooting for Hearts to end the Old Firm duopoly by winning the title, McInnes said: "I'm pretty sure that is the case!"

From Barron's

It comes seven months after the regulator said Apple and Google had an "effective duopoly" in the UK over their dominance in the sector.

From BBC

That trend should be even stickier in a duopoly.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The problem with this industry is that the supply chain is an oligopoly and sometimes even a duopoly."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023