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)

syndicates, present (3rd person singular) syndicated, past participle, past syndicating present participle

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)

syndicates, present (3rd person singular) syndicated, past participle, past syndicating present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has syndicated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have syndicated
  perfect
• is syndicating
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am syndicating
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been syndicating
  perfect progressive
• has been syndicating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are syndicating
  progressive
• syndicates
  singular 3rd person
• syndicating
  participle

Past

• had syndicated
  perfect
• had been syndicating
  perfect progressive
• was syndicating
  progressive singular
• were syndicating
  progressive plural
• syndicated
  simple
• syndicated
  participle

Future

• will syndicate
  simple
• will have syndicated
  perfect
• will have been syndicating
  perfect progressive
• will be syndicating
  progressive

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. )

Explanation

A syndicate is a group of corporations working for a common interest. A syndicate might collectively raise money for a real estate project. A syndicate sometimes has a criminal side — it can also describe a similar alliance of gangsters. Syndicate entered English in the 17th century from the French word syndicat, meaning "representative of a corporation." The Lloyd's of London insurance group is an early example of a syndicate. Syndicate can also describe an agency that sells the rights to copyrighted material, such as feature articles, to newspapers or magazines. The word has a verb form as well. If you work for a syndicate, you might syndicate the classic "Peanuts" cartoon strip in hundreds of newspapers around the world.

Example Sentences

Hussein Abu Saddam, head of the Farmers' Syndicate, expects fertiliser-intensive crops such as wheat, maize and rice to decline if costs stay high.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

This commentary — “Get Ready for an Overdue Fed Overhaul” — is published with the permission of Project Syndicate.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 4, 2025

I decided to play along with Syndicate after taking advice from a senior BBC editor.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2025

Chandler was witness to the city’s changing landscape when he arrived from England in the 1920s and took a job with the Dabney Oil Syndicate.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

But of late years further attempts have been made to boom the place, and the Mambulao Gold Mining Syndicate, London, 1893, has been formed.

From The Inhabitants of the Philippines by Sawyer, Frederic H.

Related Words

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