What does antimonopoly mean?
Antimonopoly is an adjective describing opposition to monopolies and support for competitive markets. It most often appears before nouns such as laws, legislation, regulators, cases, and enforcement, particularly in legal, economic, and journalistic writing. An antimonopoly measure might block a merger, fine a dominant firm for abusing its market power, or break up a company deemed too large. The term functions as the general international counterpart to the American word antitrust: US statutes and commentary favor antitrust, while European and global coverage of competition policy frequently uses antimonopoly. The word carries a connotation of protecting consumers and smaller businesses from concentrated economic power, and it is strongly associated with formal institutional contexts rather than everyday conversation.
adjectiveOpposed to or designed to prevent monopolies; relating to laws and policies that restrict the concentration of market power in a single company.
- Relating to or supporting laws and policies that prevent or break up monopolies.
"The government filed an antimonopoly suit against the tech giant for stifling competition."
"European antimonopoly authorities fined the company for abusing its dominant market position."
"She built her career as an antimonopoly lawyer, taking on some of the largest mergers of the decade."
The word 'antitrust' is uniquely American, but much of the world says 'antimonopoly' — same idea, different label.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of antimonopoly
Antimonopoly is formed by prefixing the Greek-derived anti- ('against') to monopoly, which itself comes from Greek monos ('single') and pōlein ('to sell'). The compound emerged alongside modern competition law in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when governments began legislating against trusts and cartels. It shares its root with related economic terms such as duopoly, oligopoly, and monopsony, all built on the same Greek elements for selling and number of sellers.
Related word forms
How antimonopoly is actually used
Primarily used in legal, economic, and journalistic contexts; register is formal. In the United States, 'antitrust' is the more common equivalent term, while 'antimonopoly' is especially prevalent in international reporting on competition policy.
Easily confused with antimonopoly
A monopoly is exclusive control of a market by one seller, while antimonopoly describes opposition to or regulation of such control.