N
The Global Insight

What is an oligopoly and give an example?

Author

James Williams

Updated on February 22, 2026

Oligopoly arises when a small number of large firms have all or most of the sales in an industry. Examples of oligopoly abound and include the auto industry, cable television, and commercial air travel. Oligopolistic firms are like cats in a bag.

What are the characteristics of an oligopoly market?

Top 9 Characteristics of Oligopoly Market

  • Interdependence:
  • Advertising:
  • Group Behaviour:
  • Competition:
  • Barriers to Entry of Firms:
  • Lack of Uniformity:
  • Existence of Price Rigidity:
  • No Unique Pattern of Pricing Behaviour:

Which is the best description of an oligopoly market?

An Oligopoly market situation is also called ‘competition among the few’. In this article, we will look at Oligopoly definition and some important characteristics of this market structure. An oligopoly is an industry which is dominated by a few firms.

How does price leadership work in an oligopoly?

Price leadership is based on informed collusion. Under price leadership, one firm is a large or dominant firm and acts as the price leader who fixes the price for the products while the other firms allow it. Q1. What is Oligopoly? Answer: An oligopoly is an industry which is dominated by a few firms.

How does an oligopoly affect interdependence between firms?

Therefore, there is a lot of interdependence among firms in an oligopoly. Hence, a firm takes into account the action and reaction of its competing firms while determining its price and output levels. Under oligopoly, the products of the firms are either homogeneous or differentiated.

What makes an oligopoly a non collusive market?

A non-collusive oligopoly refers to a market situation where the firms compete with each other rather than cooperating. Usually, in Oligopolistic markets, there are many price rigidities. In 1939, Paul Sweezy used an unconventional demand curve – the kinked demand curve to explain these rigidities.