syndication

1620s, "council or body of representatives," from French syndicat, from syndic "representative of a corporation" (see syndic). Meaning "combination of persons or companies to carry out some commercial undertaking" first occurs 1865. Publishing sense of "association of publishers for purchasing articles, etc., for simultaneous publication in a number of newspapers" is from 1889. (Syndication "publication, broadcast, or ownership by a syndicate" is attested from 1925.) As a synonym for "organized crime, the Mob" it is recorded from 1929.