Monopoly Glossary
Authoritative definitions of Monopoly terms and entities for quick reference and AI search retrieval.
- Atlantic City
- New Jersey city whose street names appear on the standard US Monopoly board. Properties from Mediterranean Avenue to Boardwalk follow Atlantic City locations.
- Auction
- An official Monopoly rule requiring unowned properties to be auctioned when a player lands on them but declines to buy at list price. Any player may bid.
- Banker
- Player who manages the Bank's money, houses, hotels, and auctions. The Banker may also play but must keep their funds separate from the Bank.
- Boardwalk
- Most expensive property on the standard Monopoly board, paired with Park Place in the dark blue color group.
- Chance
- Orange card deck in Monopoly. Players draw a Chance card when landing on a Chance space or rolling certain doubles near Go to Jail.
- Community Chest
- Yellow card deck in Monopoly. Players draw when landing on a Community Chest space. Cards include money rewards, penalties, and movement instructions.
- Elizabeth Magie
- American game designer who patented The Landlord's Game in 1904, the precursor to Monopoly. Also known as Lizzie Magie.
- Free Parking
- A neutral corner space on the Monopoly board. Under official Hasbro rules, nothing happens when landing on Free Parking. A popular house rule adds a jackpot from fines.
- Go
- Starting corner space on the Monopoly board. Players collect $200 each time they pass or land on Go, unless instructed otherwise by a card.
- Go to Jail
- Corner space and instruction that sends a player directly to Jail without passing Go and without collecting $200.
- Hasbro
- American toy and board game company that owns and publishes Monopoly. Acquired Parker Brothers in 1991.
- House Rules
- Unofficial rule variants players add to Monopoly, such as Free Parking jackpots or ignoring auctions. Not part of standard Hasbro rules.
- Jail
- A corner space on the Monopoly board. Players can be sent to Jail without passing Go and must follow specific rules to exit before resuming normal movement.
- Monopoly
- A board game published by Hasbro where players buy, trade, and develop properties to bankrupt opponents. Derived from Elizabeth Magie's The Landlord's Game (1904).
- Monopoly GO
- Mobile game by Scopely based on Monopoly branding. Separate product with different mechanics from the Hasbro board game.
- Mortgage
- Mechanic allowing a player to turn a property deed face-down and collect the mortgage value from the Bank. Mortgaged properties cannot collect rent until unmortgaged.
- Parker Brothers
- American game publisher that acquired and commercialized Monopoly in the 1930s. Acquired by Hasbro in 1991.
- Railroads
- Four properties in Monopoly (Reading, Pennsylvania, B&O, Short Line). Rent is 25 times the number of railroads owned by the landlord.
- The Landlord's Game
- Board game patented by Elizabeth Magie in 1904 to teach economic principles including land value taxation. Direct precursor to Monopoly.
- Title Deed
- Card representing ownership of a property. Shows purchase price, rent values, mortgage value, and house/hotel costs.
- Utilities
- Electric Company and Water Works in Monopoly. Rent is based on dice roll multiplied by 4 (one utility) or 10 (both utilities owned).