Monopoly vs Power

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Monopoly

Formal Top 3,000 (common) C1 noun

Power

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 noun

Most formal: Monopoly Most common: Power

	Monopoly	Power
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/məˈnɒpəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/məˈnɑːpəli/"]/ Hear Monopoly	🇬🇧 /["/ˈpaʊə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈpaʊər/"]/ Hear Power
Meaning	Complete control over a business or market.	The ability to do something or to control people or things.
Example	The company held a monopoly over the local telecommunications market.	The power of the wind can generate electricity.
Register	Formal	Neutral
How common	Top 3,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	C1	A2
Part of speech	noun	noun
Collocations	public, state, state-controlled	absolute, ultimate, considerable, come to, rise to, assume, be concentrated in (the hands of somebody/​something), flow from somebody/​something, lie with somebody/​something, struggle, relations, structure, in power, in somebody’s power, power of, abuse of power, the balance of power, a bid for power, absolute, ultimate, considerable, come to, rise to, assume, be concentrated in (the hands of somebody/​something), flow from somebody/​something, lie with somebody/​something, struggle, relations, structure, in power, in somebody’s power, power of, abuse of power, the balance of power, a bid for power, full, reduced, electric, generate, produce, provide (somebody/​something with), drive something, run something, go off, cable, grid, line, power for, a source of power, full, reduced, electric, generate, produce, provide (somebody/​something with), drive something, run something, go off, cable, grid, line, power for, a source of power, awesome, great, real, awesome, great, real, air, combat, military, have, possess, use, beyond somebody/​something’s power, in somebody’s power, within somebody’s power, at the height of your powers, at the peak of your powers, at the zenith of your powers, air, combat, military, have, possess, use, beyond somebody/​something’s power, in somebody’s power, within somebody’s power, at the height of your powers, at the peak of your powers, at the zenith of your powers, air, combat, military, have, possess, use, beyond somebody/​something’s power, in somebody’s power, within somebody’s power, at the height of your powers, at the peak of your powers, at the zenith of your powers, absolute, ultimate, considerable, come to, rise to, assume, be concentrated in (the hands of somebody/​something), flow from somebody/​something, lie with somebody/​something, struggle, relations, structure, in power, in somebody’s power, power of, abuse of power, the balance of power, a bid for power, great, major, world, air, combat, military, have, possess, use, beyond somebody/​something’s power, in somebody’s power, within somebody’s power, at the height of your powers, at the peak of your powers, at the zenith of your powers, air, combat, military, have, possess, use, beyond somebody/​something’s power, in somebody’s power, within somebody’s power, at the height of your powers, at the peak of your powers, at the zenith of your powers, absolute, ultimate, considerable, come to, rise to, assume, be concentrated in (the hands of somebody/​something), flow from somebody/​something, lie with somebody/​something, struggle, relations, structure, in power, in somebody’s power, power of, abuse of power, the balance of power, a bid for power
Antonyms	competition, diversity	weakness, ineffectiveness
Common mistakes	Confused with 'oligopoly', which means few companies controlling a market., Used mistakenly as a verb; 'monopolize' is the correct verb form., Misunderstanding the concept and using it in casual contexts.	'Power' as a verb — learners often mistakenly use 'power' when they mean to say 'empower'., Confusing 'power' with 'might', as they have different nuances., Misusing 'power' in phrases, e.g., 'the power of' requires a specified noun.
Usage notes	Used in economic discussions or legal contexts to describe when one company has no competition. Not commonly used in everyday conversation.	Used in both formal and informal contexts. In discussions about politics or leadership, 'power' often has a weighty connotation, while in casual settings it might refer to electricity or strength. Avoid using it in overly casual contexts when discussing serious topics.

Frequently asked questions: Monopoly vs Power

What's the difference between Monopoly and Power?

Monopoly: Complete control over a business or market. Power: The ability to do something or to control people or things.

Which is more formal: Monopoly and Power?

Monopoly is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Monopoly and Power?

Power is the most common in everyday English.

Are Monopoly and Power the same CEFR level?

Monopoly: C1, Power: A2 on the CEFR scale.

Can I use Monopoly and Power interchangeably?

Not always. Monopoly and Power are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.