COLLUSION: A usually secret agreement among competing firms (mostly oligopolistic firms) in an industry to control the market, raise the market price, and otherwise act like a monopoly. The reason for the secrecy is that such behavior is illegal in the United States under antitrust laws. Collusion is a characteristic trait of oligopolistic industries. Intense competition and interdependent decision-making encourages oligopolistic firms to cooperate. One way to lessen the competition among an oligopolistic rival is to join forces through collusion. (The other way is through merger, but that's another entry.)

     See also | oligopoly | market control | industry | firm | monopoly | antitrust laws | competition | competition among the few | merger | explicit collusion | implicit collusion | cartel | Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries | price leadership |

COLLUSION, AmosWEB GLOSS*arama, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: June 30, 2025].

Additional information on this term can be found at:

WEB*pedia: collusion

Back to the GLOSS*arama

A monopolistically competitive industry undertakes a two-part adjustment to equilibrium in the long run. One is the adjustment of each monopolistically competitive firm to the appropriate factory size that maximizes long-run profit. The other is the entry of firms into the industry or exit of firms out of the industry, to eliminate economic profit or economic loss. The end result of this long-run adjustment is two equilibrium conditions--one for profit maximization, the other for zero economic profit.

Complete Entry | Visit the WEB*pedia

Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time browsing through a long list of dot com websites wanting to buy either a Boston Red Sox baseball cap or a square lamp shade with frills along the bottom. Be on the lookout for pencil sharpeners with an attitude.
Your Complete Scope

This isn't me! What am I?

-- Lee Iacocca

User Feedback