Meaning & use
to syndicate
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“to syndicate” is a form of “syndicate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
to arrange for a piece of writing, a picture, or a broadcast to be sold to and published or shown by many different newspapers, magazines, or stations.
Grammar: Takes an object: syndicate a column. Often used in the passive: the show is syndicated.
Patterns
- syndicate something to something
- syndicate something internationally
- be syndicated in something
The newspaper syndicates her cartoons to more than two hundred publications.
His radio show was syndicated across the country within a year.
They plan to syndicate the documentary to streaming services abroad.
verbtransitive or intransitivebusinessfinance
to form a group of businesses or people that work together on a large project, especially one that needs a lot of money.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (syndicate a loan) or without (several banks syndicated to share the risk).
Patterns
- syndicate a loan
- syndicate with someone
- syndicate a project
Several banks syndicated the loan to reduce their individual risk.
The investors syndicated with a foreign partner to fund the new stadium.
They syndicated the deal among five major lenders.
Word forms
| third person singular | syndicates |
|---|---|
| past tense | syndicated |
| past participle | syndicated |
| -ing form | syndicating |
Common combinations
- syndicate a column
- She syndicates her advice column to dozens of local papers.
- syndicated show
- The syndicated show airs at different times in each city.
- syndicate a loan
- The bank syndicated the loan among several partners.
- widely syndicated
- His political cartoons are widely syndicated.
Synonyms and how they differ
- distribute
- A more general word for sending goods or content to many places; syndicate is specific to selling content to multiple media outlets.
- license
- Focuses on giving official permission to use something; syndicate focuses on selling the same content to many buyers.
Word family
- syndicate noun
- A group of people or businesses that work together, especially in finance or crime.
- syndication noun
- The process of selling content to many outlets or forming a business group.
- syndicator noun
- A person or company that syndicates content or loans.
Commonly confused: to syndicate or syndic?
to syndicate vs syndic
A rare word for an official representative, especially in some universities; not related to media distribution.
Practice
The cartoon is ______ to over 300 newspapers worldwide.
Choose one answer.
'Syndicated' is the past participle used in the passive: is syndicated. 'Syndicating' would need a form of 'be' like 'is syndicating' (active), which does not fit the passive meaning here, and 'syndication' is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to syndicate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.