Word
cartel
Phoneticscar·tel, stress on the second syllable
US/kɑɹˈtɛɫ/
UK/kɑːtˈɛl/
Definitions
01business/economics
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Technical
n. a group of businesses that agree to keep prices high and stop other companies from competing.
n. an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition. Often illegal under antitrust laws.
“The government fined the oil companies for forming a cartel to keep fuel prices high.”
“Economists argue that the international cartel successfully manipulated global supply to ensure price stability throughout the fiscal year.”
02criminal organization
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a large, powerful group involved in illegal activities, especially selling drugs.
n. a large-scale criminal organization, typically one involved in the international smuggling and distribution of illegal drugs.
“Police are working to stop the drug cartel from bringing illegal substances across the border.”
“The investigation revealed how the cartel had infiltrated local government agencies to protect its distribution networks.”
03prisoner exchange agreement
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Law Archaic
n. an old agreement between enemies at war to trade prisoners.
n. a written agreement between belligerent nations for the exchange or ransom of prisoners of war.
“The two generals signed a cartel to return the captured soldiers to their homes.”
“Historians noted that the 1780 cartel established specific protocols for the treatment and eventual repatriation of naval officers.”
04political alliance
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Politics Formal
n. a group of different political parties working together for a specific goal.
n. a combination of political groups or parties for common action, often to influence an election or policy.
“Several small parties formed a cartel to challenge the main government in the election.”
“The parliamentary cartel collapsed when the member parties failed to agree on the proposed tax reforms.”
Real-World Examples
“By the time Rettig visited in 2011, there were just a few hundred of them left, living in squalid and trash-strewn villages, predated upon by drug cartels and plagued by addiction.” “Avocado farming in Mexico also has some other serious drawbacks, including connections to drug cartels in some regions.” Etymology
In the business sense, borrowed from German Kartell, first used by Eugen Richter in 1871 in the Reichstag. In the political sense, which was the vehicle for this metaphor, the English sense, like the German sense, was borrowed from French cartel in the sixteenth century, from Italian cartello, diminutive of carta (“card, page”), from Latin charta.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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