Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (3)
1.
(economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller;
- Example: "a monopoly on silver"- Example: "when you have a monopoly you can ask any price you like"2.
exclusive control or possession of something;
- Example: "They have no monopoly on intelligence"3.
a board game in which players try to gain a monopoly on real estate as pieces advance around the board according to the throw of a die;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Monopoly \Mo*nop"o*ly\, n.; pl. Monopolies. [L. monopolium,
Gr. ?, ?; mo`nos alone + ? to sell.]
1. The exclusive power, or privilege of selling a commodity;
the exclusive power, right, or privilege of dealing in
some article, or of trading in some market; sole command
of the traffic in anything, however obtained; as, the
proprietor of a patented article is given a monopoly of
its sale for a limited time; chartered trading companies
have sometimes had a monopoly of trade with remote
regions; a combination of traders may get a monopoly of a
particular product.
[1913 Webster]
Raleigh held a monopoly of cards, Essex a monopoly
of sweet wines. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
2. Exclusive possession; as, a monopoly of land.
[1913 Webster]
If I had a monopoly out, they would have part on 't.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. The commodity or other material thing to which the
monopoly relates; as, tobacco is a monopoly in France.
[Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
monopoly
n 1: (economics) a market in which there are many buyers but
only one seller; "a monopoly on silver"; "when you have a
monopoly you can ask any price you like"
2: exclusive control or possession of something; "They have no
monopoly on intelligence"
3: a board game in which players try to gain a monopoly on real
estate as pieces advance around the board according to the
throw of a die