Definition

1. Noun:

   • An association of people or companies formed to carry out a specific project or business: A syndicate is a group of individuals or organizations that combine their resources or efforts for a common purpose, often financial or commercial.
   • An agency that sells material to multiple publications: A syndicate is a news agency or service that sells articles, cartoons, or features to be published simultaneously in many newspapers or magazines.
   • A group controlling organized crime: A syndicate can refer to a loose alliance of criminals or gangsters who coordinate illegal activities.

2. Verb:

   • To sell material to multiple publications: To syndicate means to sell an article, television program, or photograph to be published or broadcast by several different media outlets at the same time.
   • To form or organize into a syndicate: To syndicate means to combine people or companies into a group to undertake a joint project, especially to provide a large loan or investment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • A syndicate of banks provided the loan for the new stadium.
  • The cartoon is distributed by a major newspaper syndicate.
  • Police are investigating a powerful crime syndicate.

• Verb:

  • The studio plans to syndicate the popular TV show to local stations.
  • Several investment firms syndicated the deal to share the risk.

Advanced Usage

• "to be syndicated": Describes material sold for simultaneous publication or a group that has been formally organized.
  • Her column is syndicated in over 200 newspapers.
  • The loan was syndicated among a dozen international banks.

Variants and Related Words

• Syndication (n): The act or process of forming a syndicate or selling material for simultaneous publication.
  • The syndication of the TV series made it a huge financial success.
• Syndicator (n): A person or company that organizes syndicates or sells syndicated material.
  • He works as a syndicator for financial news.

Synonyms

• Consortium: A temporary association of companies for a financial purpose.
• Cartel: An association of manufacturers or suppliers to maintain prices at a high level.
• Alliance: A union formed for mutual benefit.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Verb Phrases

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs. The action is typically expressed simply as "syndicate.")

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms that center on the word "syndicate.")

Noun

1. a news agency that sells features or articles or photographs etc. to newspapers for simultaneous publication
2. an association of companies for some definite purpose
3. a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities

Verb

1. sell articles, television programs, or photos to several publications or independent broadcasting stations
2. organize into or form a syndicate
3. join together into a syndicate
   • The banks syndicated