subsidiarity
Britishnoun
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(in the Roman Catholic Church) a principle of social doctrine that all social bodies exist for the sake of the individual so that what individuals are able to do, society should not take over, and what small societies can do, larger societies should not take over
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(in political systems) the principle of devolving decisions to the lowest practical level
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Subsidiarity, on the other hand, recognizes that private associations and local or state governments are better equipped to address most social issues.
From Washington Post
Subsidiarity enthusiasts are often quite two-faced about it.
From Time Magazine Archive
Subsidiarity is a good principle, in the abstract.
From Time Magazine Archive
Subsidiarity, then, is often just an intellectual and financial free lunch.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
