Spanish word

cártel

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkaɾtel/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncartel

Example

Varios países investigan si las empresas forman un cártel para fijar precios.

Several countries are investigating whether companies are forming a cartel to fix prices.

Illustration for cártel (cartel)

More examples

Las autoridades desarticularon un cártel que controlaba el mercado.

The authorities dismantled a cartel that controlled the market.

Core concept

A pact among businesses or groups to coordinate and control a market.

Common phrases

  • cártel de drogas

    drug cartel

  • cártel de precios

    price-fixing cartel

Similar words

colusión: Hidden coordination among competitors to rig bids, prices, or other market behavior.
monopolio: Market dominance by a single company or group that dictates supply and conditions.
conspiración: Covert agreement to plan or commit illegal activities jointly.
mafia: Hierarchical criminal organization that enforces control through violence and extortion.

Definition in Spanish

Alianza o pacto entre varios actores, ya sean empresas o grupos, para coordinarse y controlar un mercado o actividad.

Word origin

Derived via Italian cartello and French cartel from Latin charta 'paper', where the 'posted notice' sense extends to organized pacts among groups.

Usage tips

  • Common collocations are cártel de empresas for corporate collusion and cártel de drogas or cártel de narcotraficantes for criminal groups, so the noun frequently appears with de plus the activity.

Other meanings

  • drug cartelnoun
  • posternoun

Opposites

Related words

  • cartelerabulletin boardnoun
  • cartelizacióncartelizationnoun

Word lists with this word