syndication

syndication — noun

1. the business practice of selling newspaper articles, photographs, television pro

1.nounB2
Definition

the business practice of selling newspaper articles, photographs, television programmes, comic strips, or other creative work to several different media companies at the same time, so that each can publish or broadcast it in their own market

Example

Caio's newspaper agreed to the syndication of its popular cooking column to other papers.

syndication + of + [content]

Syndication of the talk show began in 2022, allowing stations across the country to air it.

Common collocations
  • television syndication
  • newspaper syndication
  • content syndication
  • syndication deal
  • syndication agreement
  • syndication rights
  • syndication fee
  • go into syndication
  • in syndication
  • sell for syndication
  • buy for syndication
Synonyms
  • distribution

    broader term covering any method of delivering content to audiences, not specifically multi-outlet sales

  • licensing

    grants permission to use content, but may be exclusive to one outlet; syndication implies non-exclusive multi-outlet deals

  • syndication rights

    the specific legal permissions granted in a syndication agreement; not a synonym for the act itself

Grammar Patterns

syndication + of + [content]

in syndication

[content] + go into syndication

Usage Note

Often used in fixed phrases like 'in syndication' (referring to a TV show or column being broadcast or published by multiple outlets) and 'to go into syndication' (to begin being sold to multiple outlets). The related adjective 'syndicated' is common in media contexts, e.g. 'a syndicated columnist'.

Common Mistakes

The article's syndication meant only one newspaper could print it.
The article's syndication meant several newspapers could print it at the same time.
Syndication involves selling to multiple outlets, not one exclusive buyer.
The film went into syndication on streaming services.
The old TV series went into syndication on local stations.
'Syndication' in media usually refers to TV shows, columns, or comics, not films on streaming platforms.

2. the arrangement by which a very large loan or debt is divided among several bank

2.nounC1
Definition

the arrangement by which a very large loan or debt is divided among several banks or financial organisations, so that they share the responsibility, risk, and profit from it

Example

The bank arranged syndication for the $500 million loan with three other lenders.

Syndication of the corporate debt allowed smaller banks to take part in the deal.

syndication + of + debt / loan

Common collocations
  • loan syndication
  • debt syndication
  • syndication agreement
  • syndication fee
  • syndication market
  • arrange syndication
  • lead the syndication
  • syndication of debt
Synonyms
  • loan syndication

    more specific compound term; the two are often interchangeable in finance contexts

  • co-financing

    similar but can involve multiple lenders contributing separate facilities rather than sharing one loan

Grammar Patterns

syndication + of + [loan/debt]

loan syndication

debt syndication

Usage Note

Describes a common practice in corporate and project finance where a single loan is too large for one lender. Frequently appears as the compound noun 'loan syndication'. The bank that arranges the syndication is called the 'lead arranger' or 'lead underwriter'.

Common Mistakes

The bank accepted syndication of my personal mortgage.
The bank arranged syndication of the corporate loan among several lenders.
Syndication of loans is a business and corporate finance activity, not available for personal loans or mortgages.

3. the act of bringing people or organisations together into a syndicate, which is

3.nounC1
Definition

the act of bringing people or organisations together into a syndicate, which is a group that cooperates for a shared business goal, or the ongoing management of such a group

Example

The syndication of several local news agencies gave them more power when negotiating with advertisers.

After syndication, the group of independent shops could ask for better prices from their suppliers.

temporal clause: after syndication

Common collocations
  • syndication of [businesses/agencies/groups]
  • form into a syndicate
  • organise as a syndicate
Synonyms
  • consolidation

    bringing separate entities together, but does not imply the specific structure of a syndicate

  • partnership formation

    more specific about the legal structure; syndication may be less formal

Grammar Patterns

syndication + of + [group/people/organisations]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (MEDIA CONTENT) and sense 2 (LOAN SHARING). This sense focuses on the act of organising people or entities into a cooperative group structure, without specifying a particular industry. The verb 'syndicate' is more common for this meaning.

Common Mistakes

The syndication of the newspaper column means the journalists formed a group.
The syndication of the newspaper column means it was sold to multiple papers.
The media sense (sense 1) refers to selling content, not forming a group.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While syndication specifically refers to selling content to multiple independent outlets for simultaneous or near-simultaneous publication, distribution is a much broader term covering any method of getting content to its audience — from physical shipping to digital upload. Licensing gives a person or company permission to use content, but the permission may be exclusive to one outlet, whereas syndication always involves non-exclusive multi-outlet deals. Syndication rights are the specific legal permissions granted under a syndication agreement — they are a set of rights, not the act itself. Broadcasting is limited to TV and radio transmission, while syndication spans print, television, and online media. For example, a cooking show might be syndicated to 200 local stations, but each station broadcasts it under its own license.

distribution ↗licensingsyndication rightsbroadcasting

Common collocations

Nouns

  • syndication market
  • syndication process
  • syndication model
  • syndication platform

Phrases

  • go into syndication
  • be in syndication
  • arrange syndication
  • handle syndication
  • syndication rights

Prepositions

  • in syndication
  • into syndication
  • through syndication
  • under syndication

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from syndicate + -ion. Syndicate entered English in the early 1600s, borrowed from French syndicat, meaning 'a representative of a corporation.' The French word came from Late Latin syndicus ('a delegate of a corporation'), which in turn came from Greek syndikos ('one who helps in a court of justice,' from syn- 'together' + dike 'justice, right'). The media sense of syndication — selling content to multiple outlets — developed in the late 1800s as newspapers began sharing articles and comic strips. The financial sense arose in the early 1900s when banks started forming groups to underwrite large loans.