ol ‧ i ‧ gop ‧ o ‧ ly /ˌɒləˈɡɒpəli, ˌɒlɪˈɡɒpəli $ ˌɑːləˈɡɑː-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural oligopolies ) [countable] technical
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: Greek ; Origin: oligos 'few' + English monopoly ]
the control of all or most of a business activity by very few companies, so that other organizations cannot easily compete with them