syndicate

American  

[sin-di-kit, sin-di-keyt] / ˈsɪn dɪ kɪt, ˈsɪn dɪˌkeɪt /

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.

   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.

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verb (used with object)

syndicated, syndicating

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)

syndicated, syndicating

1. to combine to form a syndicate.

syndicate British  

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

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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)

Other Word Forms

• subsyndicate noun
• supersyndicate noun
• syndicatable adjective
• syndication noun

Etymology

Origin of syndicate

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. )

Example Sentences

In 1919 the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series in exchange for roughly $100,000 from a gambling syndicate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Many highly rated U.S. companies already pulled forward some of their funding needs in the first two-and-a-half months of 2026, said Kyle Stegemeyer, head of investment-grade debt capital markets and syndicate at Minneapolis-based U.S.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

In September, Kenyan police said they had broken up a suspected "trafficking syndicate" that they said was luring Kenyans with job offers, but sending them to fight in Ukraine.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Hersh’s recourse was to syndicate the piece through the independent Dispatch News Service, run by his literary agent David Obst.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026

The Bank of England and a syndicate of financiers were racing to raise a fund to guarantee Baring’s financial obligations.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

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