duopoly

noun

du·​op·​o·​ly du̇-ˈä-pə-lē 

 also  dyu̇-

plural duopolies

1

: an oligopoly limited to two sellers

2

: preponderant influence or control by two political powers

duopolistic

d(y)u̇-ˌä-pə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

Examples of duopoly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The United States is highly unlikely to see the growth of a multiparty political system, but the power of factions relative to the existing partisan duopoly will shift back to its traditional balance. —R. Glenn Hubbard, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013

And there is belief among some that the U.S. market won’t be a duopoly of FanDuel and DraftKings, which currently claim a majority of market share. —Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2025

Huntington Ingalls Smacked for a 28% loss in the fourth quarter, Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII) is the largest builder of ships for the U.S. Navy, and has close to a duopoly in that business with General Dynamics Corp. (GD). —John Dorfman, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

On Me, a new startup founded by Google veterans Darragh Meaney and Sitar Harel, says it is poised to disrupt this duopoly with a digital-first gift card product not limited to individual retailers. —Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

duo- + -poly (as in monopoly)

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for duopoly

• melancholy
• pulmonale
• triticale
• akali
• bengali
• diwali
• loblolly
• naphtali
• nepali
• secale
• somali
• colley