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subsidy

[ suhb-si-dee ]
/ ˈsʌb sɪ di /
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See synonyms for: subsidy / subsidies on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural sub·si·dies.
a direct pecuniary aid furnished by a government to a private industrial undertaking, a charity organization, or the like.
a sum paid, often in accordance with a treaty, by one government to another to secure some service in return.
a grant or contribution of money.
money formerly granted by the English Parliament to the crown for special needs.
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Origin of subsidy

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English subsidie, from Anglo-French, from Latin subsidium “auxiliary force, reserve, help,” equivalent to sub-sub- + sid-, combining form of sedēre “to sit” (see sit1) + -ium-ium

synonym study for subsidy

1. Subsidy, subvention are both grants of money, especially governmental, to aid private undertakings. A subsidy is usually given to promote commercial enterprise: a subsidy to manufacturers during a war. A subvention is usually a grant to stimulate enterprises connected with science and the arts: a subvention to a research chemist by a major company.

OTHER WORDS FROM subsidy

an·ti·sub·si·dy, noun, plural an·ti·sub·si·dies.non·sub·si·dy, noun, plural non·sub·si·dies.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use subsidy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subsidy

subsidy
/ (ˈsʌbsɪdɪ) /

noun plural -dies
a financial aid supplied by a government, as to industry, for reasons of public welfare, the balance of payments, etc
English history a financial grant made originally for special purposes by Parliament to the Crown
any monetary contribution, grant, or aid

Word Origin for subsidy

C14: from Anglo-Norman subsidie, from Latin subsidium assistance, from subsidēre to remain, from sub- down + sedēre to sit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for subsidy

subsidy

A grant made by a government to some individual or business in order to maintain an acceptable standard of living or to stimulate economic growth.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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