cartel /; AmE / (also price ring) noun [C with sing./pl. verb]

(Economics )

a group of separate companies that agree to increase profits by fixing prices and not competing with each other:

Ten companies were fined for taking part in a cartel to control the vitamins market.

an oil/coffee cartel

efforts to get producers outside the cartel to cut production

❖ to form/have/join/take part in a cartel

◆ an illegal/a price-fixing cartel

• principle
• print
• print advertising
• printed circuit
• printer
• printing
• printout
• print preview
• prior
• prioritize
• priority
• priority claim
• privacy
• private
• private bank
• private brand
• private company
• private corporation
• private enterprise
• private equity
• private income
• private label
• private law
• privately-held
• private placing