Syndicate vs. Mafia: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Syndicate is a group organized for mutual benefit or to undertake business ventures. Mafia is a criminal organization with a hierarchical structure, involved in illegal activities.
Key Differences
A syndicate is a broad term for any group or organization formed to undertake a specific duty, often in business. Unlike the mafia, a syndicate is not inherently linked to illegal activities. It can be as simple as a group of investors pooling resources for a joint venture.
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Dec 06, 2023
The mafia, in contrast, specifically refers to organized crime syndicates, particularly those of Italian or Sicilian origin. These groups are known for their illegal activities, such as extortion, smuggling, and other forms of organized crime. The term "mafia" carries a distinctly criminal connotation.
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Dec 06, 2023
Syndicates can operate legally and are often used in legitimate business scenarios, such as real estate syndicates where investors combine funds to purchase properties. This lawful aspect distinguishes syndicates from mafias.
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Dec 06, 2023
Mafias, however, are deeply entrenched in illegal activities and operate outside the law. Their structure is often secretive and hierarchical, with a strict code of conduct and loyalty.
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Dec 06, 2023
The main distinction lies in legality and purpose. Syndicates can be legal, formed for various purposes like investment or media operations, while mafias are always illegal, involved in criminal enterprises.
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Dec 06, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
Diverse, including business ventures, media operations
Organized crime, including extortion, smuggling
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Origin
General term, not tied to a specific culture
Often associated with Italian or Sicilian origins
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Syndicate and Mafia Definitions
Syndicate
A coalition of people or companies formed to undertake a specific business project.
The real estate syndicate successfully acquired several downtown properties.
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Mafia
A closed group of people in a particular field, having a controlling influence.
The local construction industry was dominated by a mafia-like group.
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Dec 06, 2023
Syndicate
A group of individuals or organizations combined to promote a common interest.
The media syndicate distributed various newspapers and magazines nationally.
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Dec 06, 2023
Mafia
An organized crime syndicate known for illegal activities like extortion, drug trafficking, and protection rackets.
The police were investigating the mafia's role in the international drug trade.
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Dec 06, 2023
Syndicate
A group of individuals or entities collaborating for joint action.
The artists formed a syndicate to promote their work collectively.
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Mafia
A secret criminal society engaged in illegal activities, often with political influence.
The mafia's influence extended beyond crime, impacting local politics.
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Syndicate
An association of people or firms formed to promote a common interest or carry out a business enterprise.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
A secret criminal organization operating mainly in Sicily since the early 1800s and known for its intimidation of and retribution against law enforcement officials and witnesses.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A loose affiliation of gangsters in control of organized criminal activities.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
A secret criminal organization operating mainly in the United States and Italy and engaged in illegal activities such as gambling, drug-dealing, protection, and prostitution.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
An agency that sells articles, features, or photographs for publication in a number of newspapers or periodicals simultaneously.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
Any of various similar criminal organizations, especially when dominated by members of the same nationality.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A company consisting of a number of separate newspapers; a newspaper chain.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
Often mafia(Informal) A tightly knit group of trusted associates, as of a political leader
"[He] is one of the personal mafia that [the chancellor] brought with him to Bonn" (Christian Science Monitor).
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
The office, position, or jurisdiction of a syndic or body of syndics.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To sell (a comic strip or column, for example) through a syndicate for simultaneous publication in newspapers or periodicals.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To sell (a television series, for example) directly to independent stations.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To create a feed for (a website), allowing users to include content from the website in other websites or to view the content.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
A crime syndicate in the United States; organized in families; believed to have important relations to the Sicilian Mafia
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To include (the contents of a website) on another website by using a feed.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
A secret terrorist group in Sicily; originally opposed tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the middle of the 19th century
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A group of individuals or companies formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest; a self-coordinating group.
A gambling syndicate
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Oct 19, 2023
Mafia
An organized international body of criminals, operating originally in Sicily and now especially in Italy and the US.
The mafia was involved in various illegal activities, including racketeering and smuggling.
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Dec 06, 2023
Mafia
A group involved in organized crime, often with a familial structure.
The mafia family exerted significant control over the city's underworld.
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Syndicate
(mass media) A group of media companies, or an agency, formed to acquire content such as articles, cartoons, etc., and to publish it in multiple outlets; a chain of newspapers or other media outlets managed by such an organization.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
The office or jurisdiction of a syndic; a body or council of syndics.
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Syndicate
(transitive) To put under the control of a group acting as a unit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To release media content through a syndicate to be broadcast or published through multiple outlets.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
The office or jurisdiction of a syndic; a council, or body of syndics.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
An association of persons officially authorized to undertake some duty or to negotiate some business; also, an association of persons who combine to carry out, on their own account, a financial or industrial project; as, a syndicate of bankers formed to take up and dispose of an entire issue of government bonds.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A more or less organized association of criminals controlling some aspects of criminal activity, in a specific area or country-wide; - used loosely as a synonym for organized crime or the mafia.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A commercial organization that purchases various journalistic items, such as articles, columns, or comic strips, from their individual creators, and resells them to newspapers or other periodicals for simultaneous publication over a wide area.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To acquire or control for or by, or to subject to the management of, a syndicate; as, syndicated newspapers.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
To purchase various journalistic items, such as articles, columns, or comic strips, from their individual creators, and resell them to numerous periodicals for simultaneous publication over a wide area; a syndicated columnist.
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
A news agency that sells features or articles or photographs etc. to newspapers for simultaneous publication
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Syndicate
Sell articles, television programs, or photos to several publications or independent broadcasting stations
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Oct 19, 2023
Syndicate
An association formed to carry out a particular financial or business operation.
They formed a syndicate to invest in the new technology startup.
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Syndicate
A self-organizing group formed for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal.
A syndicate of local farmers was established to market their products more effectively.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a syndicate?
A syndicate is a group or coalition formed to undertake specific business projects or to promote a common interest.
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What are examples of syndicate activities?
Syndicates can be involved in real estate, media distribution, or joint business ventures.
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What activities are mafias involved in?
Mafias engage in illegal activities like extortion, smuggling, and racketeering.
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Can a syndicate be legal?
Yes, syndicates can operate legally, such as in business or real estate ventures.
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Is mafia always associated with crime?
Yes, the term "mafia" specifically refers to organized crime groups.
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Do mafias have a formal structure?
Yes, mafias typically have a hierarchical, secretive structure with strict codes of conduct.
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Dec 06, 2023
Can anyone join a syndicate?
It depends on the syndicate's purpose and structure; some are open, while others are selective.
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Are all syndicates related to crime?
No, not all syndicates are criminal; many operate legally in various sectors.
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What defines a mafia?
A mafia is a criminal organization known for illegal activities, often with Italian or Sicilian origins.
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Dec 06, 2023
Can syndicates have a global presence?
Yes, some syndicates, especially in media and business, operate internationally.
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Is membership in a syndicate always formal?
Not necessarily; syndicates can have informal or formal membership structures.
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What is the typical goal of a mafia?
The primary goal is to profit from and maintain control over illegal activities.
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Dec 06, 2023
What is a real estate syndicate?
A real estate syndicate is a group of investors pooling resources to invest in property.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is the mafia always Italian?
While traditionally Italian or Sicilian, the term can apply to similar organized crime groups globally.
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Dec 06, 2023
Do mafias operate in legal industries?
Mafias may be involved in legitimate businesses, but they are known for their illegal activities.
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How do mafias exert control?
Mafias use intimidation, violence, and corruption to maintain control and influence.
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Can syndicates be involved in media?
Yes, media syndicates distribute content like newspapers, magazines, or TV shows.
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Do mafias have international networks?
Yes, many mafias have international connections for activities like drug trafficking.
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Dec 06, 2023
Are mafias family-based?
Many mafias, especially traditional ones, are based on familial ties and loyalty.
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Are syndicates always large groups?
Syndicates vary in size, from small partnerships to large coalitions.
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Dec 06, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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