subsidiary

[ suhb-sid-ee-er-ee ]

adjective

1. serving to assist or supplement; auxiliary; supplementary.
2. subordinate or secondary:

   subsidiary issues.

3. of or relating to a subsidiary.

noun

, plural sub·sid·i·ar·ies.

1. a subsidiary thing or person.
2. subsidiary company.
3. Music. a subordinate theme or subject.

subsidiary

/ səbˈsɪdɪərɪ /

adjective

1. serving to aid or supplement; auxiliary
2. of lesser importance; subordinate in function

noun

1. a person who or thing that is subsidiary
2. See subsidiary company
   short for subsidiary company

Derived Forms

• subˈsidiarily, adverb
• subˈsidiariness, noun

Other Words From

• sub·sid·i·ar·i·ly [s, uh, b-sid-ee-, air, -, uh, -lee, -, sid, -ee-er-], adverb
• sub·sidi·ari·ness noun
• nonsub·sidi·ary adjective noun plural nonsubsidiaries
• unsub·sidi·ary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of subsidiary¹

1535–45; < Latin subsidiārius, equivalent to subsidi ( um ) ( subsidy ) + -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of subsidiary¹

C16: from Latin subsidiārius supporting, from subsidium subsidy

Example Sentences

AirAsia Indonesia, which operated Flight 8501, is the Indonesian subsidiary of AirAsia, which is based in Malaysia.

From The Daily Beast

And this week CNPC agreed to buy 10 percent of Vankorneft, a Rosneft subsidiary, which operates the lucrative Vankor oil field.

From The Daily Beast

Rolls Royce Motor Cars is a subsidiary of BMW, who make the engines.

From The Daily Beast

Nestlé, the Swiss owner of sausage-making subsidiary Herta, told The Daily Beast they would launch an appeal.

From The Daily Beast

He does not see his wealth and status as subsidiary, he holds both shamelessly close.

From The Daily Beast

Beaten on the main issue, Mr. Bradlaugh was successful, however, on the subsidiary one.

From Project Gutenberg

An awful subsidiary fear whispered him that if he were hurt, he should disgrace himself by weeping.

From Project Gutenberg

In other words, it is the old dodge of forming subsidiary companies for the purpose of hiding the identity of the real owners.

From Project Gutenberg

Whenever a business assumes certain proportions, subsidiary businesses spring up to cater to the needs of the larger enterprise.

From Project Gutenberg

Nay, Cumberland has made his odes subsidiary to the fame of another man.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ancillary
• supplementary