Meaning

noun (economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller

noun exclusive control or possession of something

noun 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

originFrom Latin monopōlium, from Ancient Greek μονοπώλιον (monopṓlion, “a right of exclusive sale”), from μόνος (mónos, “sole”) + πωλέω (pōléō, “to barter, sell”). By surface analysis, mono- + -poly.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0