A monopoly is a business with exclusive control over the sale of a particular good or service. The main cause of monopoly is barriers to entry, which can be created by government regulations, economies of scale, and patents and copyrights. Other causes of monopoly include collusion between firms and vertical integration.

Monopoly must first be defined in order to investigate its causes. Monos means "sole." Poleo means "to sell." It roughly translates as "sole seller." A monopoly is defined as any individual or firm that is the sole seller in a market. Monopolies are large corporations that exploit their customers. It is common for them to charge higher prices than a consumer would ordinarily pay in a competitive market. Therefore, they are typically carefully regulated in order to prevent unfair tactics that exploit consumers.