monopolio
Lemma Details
Translation: monopoly; exclusive control; exclusive right
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'monopolium', which comes from Ancient Greek 'μονοπώλιον' (monopōlion), formed from 'μόνος' (monos) meaning 'single, alone' and 'πωλεῖν' (pōlein) meaning 'to sell'. The word literally means 'exclusive right to sell'. The English cognate 'monopoly' follows the same etymological path. The concept dates back to ancient civilizations where governments would grant exclusive trading rights to certain merchants or companies.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El gobierno rompió el monopolio de las telecomunicaciones.
The government broke the telecommunications monopoly.
Esa empresa tiene el monopolio del mercado energético.
That company has a monopoly on the energy market.
Las leyes antimonopolio previenen la concentración excesiva de poder.
Antitrust laws prevent excessive concentration of power.
Jugamos al Monopolio toda la noche.
We played Monopoly all night.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'mono' (one) + 'polio' (from Greek 'to sell') = one seller in the market
- Remember the board game Monopoly, where one player tries to control all properties
- Visualize a single company (mono) controlling all the poles (polio) of an industry
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'monopolio' is frequently used in economic and political discussions about market control. It's also the name of the popular board game Monopoly, which is played throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The term carries similar negative connotations as in English when referring to excessive market control.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'monopolio' refers to exclusive market control, 'monólogo' means 'monologue' (a long speech by one person).
Confused word:
El actor realizó un monólogo impresionante.
The actor performed an impressive monologue.
Notes: Both words start with 'mono' (single/one) but refer to completely different concepts.
Mnemonic: 'Monopolio' has 'polio' (selling) while 'monólogo' has 'logo' (speech).
Explanation: 'Monopolio' refers to control by a single entity, while 'oligopolio' (oligopoly) refers to market control by a small number of sellers.
This word:
Tiene un monopolio completo sobre ese recurso.
They have a complete monopoly on that resource.
Notes: Both terms are economic concepts related to market control but differ in the number of controlling entities.
Mnemonic: 'Mono' means one, 'oligo' means few - the difference is in the number of controlling entities.