syndicate

[ noun sin-di-kit; verb sin-di-keyt ]

noun

1. a group of individuals or organizations combined or making a joint effort to undertake some specific duty or carry out specific transactions or negotiations:

   The local furniture store is individually owned, but is part of a buying syndicate.

2. a combination of bankers or capitalists formed for the purpose of carrying out some project requiring large resources of capital, as the underwriting of an issue of stock or bonds.
3. Journalism.
   1. an agency that buys articles, stories, columns, photographs, comic strips, or other features and distributes them for simultaneous publication in a number of newspapers or periodicals. Compare boilerplate ( def 2a ).
   2. a business organization owning and operating a number of newspapers; newspaper chain.
4. a group, combination, or association of gangsters controlling organized crime or one type of crime, especially in one region of the country.
5. a council or body of syndics.
6. a local organization of employers or employees in Italy during the Fascist regime.

verb (used with object)

, syn·di·cat·ed, syn·di·cat·ing.

1. to combine into a syndicate.
2. to publish simultaneously, or supply for simultaneous publication, in a number of newspapers or other periodicals:

   Her column is syndicated in 120 papers.

3. Television. to sell (a program, series, etc.) directly to independent stations.
4. to sell shares in or offer participation in the financial sharing of (a risk venture, loan, or the like):

   to syndicate a racehorse among speculators;

   to syndicate a loan among several banks.

verb (used without object)

, syn·di·cat·ed, syn·di·cat·ing.

1. to combine to form a syndicate.

syndicate

noun

1. an association of business enterprises or individuals organized to undertake a joint project requiring considerable capital
2. a news agency that sells articles, photographs, etc, to a number of newspapers for simultaneous publication
3. any association formed to carry out an enterprise or enterprises of common interest to its members
4. a board of syndics or the office of syndic
5. (in Italy under the Fascists) a local organization of employers or employees

verb

1. tr to sell (articles, photographs, etc) to several newspapers for simultaneous publication
2. tr to sell (a programme or programmes) to several local commercial television or radio stations
3. to form a syndicate of (people)

Derived Forms

• ˌsyndiˈcation, noun

Other Words From

• syn·di·cat·a·ble adjective
• syn·di·ca·tion [sin-di-, key, -sh, uh, n] noun
• sub·syn·di·cate noun
• su·per·syn·di·cate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of syndicate¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Middle French syndicat “office of syndic, board of syndics,” from Medieval Latin syndicātus, equivalent to syndic + -ate ³( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of syndicate¹

C17: from Old French syndicat office of a syndic

Example Sentences

Your syndicate doesn't have to be formed of people you're physically going to the festival with.

From BBC

Maya Bekhazi Noun, an entrepreneur and board member of the restaurant and bar owners’ syndicate, estimates that 85% of food and drink spots in downtown Beirut have shut down or limited their opening hours.

From BBC

The Ware County commission in July removed a new conservative election board member, Michael Hargrove, who had complained about the “Biden/Harris Crime Syndicate” on social media, after he entered a polling site’s restricted area during spring elections and got into a confrontation with a poll worker.

From Salon

He was featured in a 2023 Los Angeles Times article detailing how members of the prison-based crime syndicate use smuggled cellphones to collect money and order murders on city streets.

From Los Angeles Times

They were a phantom syndicate created by the NCA.

From BBC

Related Words

• association
• cartel
• conglomerate
• gang
• mob
• organization
• ring
• union