duopoly

[ doo-op-uh-lee, dyoo- ]

noun

, plural du·op·o·lies.

1. the market condition that exists when there are only two sellers. Compare monopoly ( def 1 ), oligopoly.

duopoly

/ ˌdjʊɒpəˈlɪstɪk; djʊˈɒpəlɪ /

noun

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

Derived Forms

• duopolistic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of duopoly¹

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

Example Sentences

Both became industry standards for digital music notation throughout the 2000s, launching regular updates and holding a sort of “duopoly” over the space, as Dorico’s product marketing manager, Daniel Spreadbury, characterized it to me.

From Slate

“I think a Libertarian candidate... is going to be direct competition for Kennedy and I think people are ready for something new, something outside of the duopoly. They’re done with Trump and Biden,” said the resident of Sussex County, New Jersey.

From BBC

Despite Boeing’s woes, Airbus is unlikely to extend its advantage in the Airbus-Boeing duopoly much further because the company already is making planes as fast as it can, with a backlog of more than 8,600 orders to fill.

From Seattle Times

“We want to liberate presidential elections from the grip of the existing two-party duopoly, and revitalize American democracy.”

From Salon

“When they learned about my candidacy, they had just drafted a new charter for their reborn party where they could use their ballot line for good, for helping independent candidates to unite America without being blocked by the two-party duopoly.”

From Seattle Times