UNIT 50 Monopoly

A monopoly (from Greek monos (alone or single) + polein (to sell) exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity.

A situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. This would happen in the case that there is a barrier to entry into the industry that allows the single company to operate without competition (for example, vast economies of scale, barriers to entry, or governmental regulation). In such an industry structure, the producer will often produce a volume that is less than the amount which would maximize social welfare. Monopolies are thus characterized by a lack of economic competition to produce the good or service and a lack of viable substitute goods. The verb "monopolize" refers to the process by which a company gains much greater market share than what is expected with perfect competition.