Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A combination of independent business organizations formed to regulate production, pricing, and marketing of goods by the members.
  • noun An official agreement between governments at war, especially one concerning the exchange of prisoners.
  • noun A group of parties, factions, or nations united in a common cause; a bloc.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A writing or an agreement between states, especially when at war, as for the exchange of prisoners, or for some mutual advantage.
  • noun A letter of defiance or challenge; a challenge to single combat.
  • noun Formerly also chartel.
  • To defy; challenge to a duel. Also chartel.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mil.) An agreement between belligerents for the exchange of prisoners.
  • noun obsolete A letter of defiance or challenge; a challenge to single combat.
  • noun a ship employed in the exchange of prisoners, or in carrying propositions to an enemy; a ship beating a flag of truce and privileged from capture.
  • transitive verb obsolete To defy or challenge.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A group of businesses or nations that collude to limit competition within an industry or market.
  • noun A combination of political groups (notably parties) for common action
  • noun A written letter of defiance or challenge.
  • noun An official agreement concerning the exchange of prisoners.
  • noun nautical A ship used to negotiate with an enemy in time of war, and to exchange prisoners.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[German Kartell, from French cartel, from Italian cartello, placard, from Medieval Latin cartellus, charter, diminutive of Latin charta, carta, paper made from papyrus; see card.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French cartel, from Italian cartello, diminutive of carta ("card, page"), from Latin charta.

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Examples

  • It seems inevitable that the label cartel will attempt to use the marks to inflict liability on users if music bearing their email address appears online.

    Techdirt 2009

  • To worry about the integrity of the cartel is absurd.

    Matthew Yglesias » The Pool 2009

  • MusicGiants, Big Four deal p2p news/p2pnet: - MusicGiants, offering 1,100 kbps downloads for not a lot more than the Big Four record label cartel is trying to flog its seriously over-priced and lossy (128 – 192 kbps) mp3s, has reached a licensing deal with the cartel.

    MusicGiants, Big Four deal 2005

  • Click here to download our newsfeed code eDonkey throws in the towel p2pnet Special Report: - The Big Four record label cartel is working with at least five p2p file sharing services to convert free trading of copyrighted music on their networks to paid services, Hollywood favourite senator Dianne Feinstein today told a US Senate Judiciary Committee Protecting Copyright and Innovation in a Post-Grokster World hearing.

    eDonkey throws in the towel 2005

  • Big Music KrAPPy ruling p2pnet. net News: - The Big Four record label cartel is claiming a victory in Korea.

    Big Music KrAPPy ruling 2005

  • A new report from the Consumer Federation of America says traditional real estate agents have formed what they call a cartel; one that is keeping commission fees high.

    CNN Transcript Jun 24, 2006 2006

  • The Tijuana cartel is battling the Juárez and Sinaloa cartels for control of the Arizona and Texas routes.

    Safety in lakeside 2009

  • The Sinaloa cartel is linked to the Juárez cartel in a strategic alliance following the partnership of their rivals, the Gulf and Tijuana cartels.

    Safety in lakeside 2009

  • However, in most cases where no cartel is formed, the market forces will create competition for local products, and cause prices to drop.

    P2P: just an excuse for ACTA 2009

  • CNN: Documents: Slain cartel member feared for his life

    POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: August 13, 2009 2009

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