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. )

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

DILI, East Timor—Last fall, the Trump administration announced criminal charges and sweeping sanctions against what it said was a transnational criminal syndicate that had stolen billions of dollars from Americans and others through online scams.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Paramount has also received $54 billion of debt commitments from Bank of America, Citigroup and the private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, which it is beginning to syndicate out to other banks and investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

It is also unclear whether the current tensions in the Middle East over the Iran war will have an impact on Paramount’s investor syndicate.

From Los Angeles Times • 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

The Zanesville syndicate looked at all the best natural qualities of the country and decided to attribute them to Odessa whether they were there or not.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

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