subsidiary

adjective sub·sid·i·ary \ səb-ˈsi-dē-ˌer-ē , -ˈsi-də-rē \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Examples: subsidiary in a Sentence

Definition of subsidiary

1 a : furnishing aid or support : auxiliary

subsidiary details

b : of secondary importance

a subsidiary stream

2 : of, relating to, or constituting a subsidy

a subsidiary payment to an ally

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subsidiarily

play \səb-ˌsi-dē-ˈer-ə-lē\ adverb

See subsidiary defined for English-language learners

See subsidiary defined for kids

Recent Examples of subsidiary from the Web

One of the Strong Economy For All subsidiary groups, Coalition for the Homeless, said all of the millions received from Robin Hood went to its own programs, not any outside entity.

— rob copeland, WSJ, "Hedge Funds’ Favorite Charity Is Funding Their Opponents," 14 May 2018
Additionally, the department announced Monday that insurance firm Chubb Ltd. and its subsidiary Illinois Union Insurance Company would pay a $1.3 million fine for underwriting the Carry Guard program through Lockton Affinity LLC.

— karen matthews, BostonGlobe.com, "NRA sues New York Governor over what it calls blacklisting campaign," 11 May 2018
The other members could either stay in the ie, marry into a new one (daughters), or start subsidiary branches (sons).

— kathryn schulz, The New Yorker, "Japan’s Rent-a-Family Industry," 23 Apr. 2018
Because his father is an Earl, James has taken on the subsidiary title of Viscount Severn, rather than Prince.

— kate samuelson, Time, "Your Complete Guide to the British Royal Family Tree and Line of Succession," 23 Apr. 2018
And there are subsidiary questions that run down from there: Which sensors create the best data?

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "The Most Important Self-Driving Car Announcement Yet," 28 Mar. 2018
Nor are the numbers for the subsidiary characters compelling.

— jesse green, New York Times, "Review: ‘Frozen’ Hits Broadway With a Little Magic and Some Icy Patches," 22 Mar. 2018
God only knows how many lives have been saved, and subsidiary crimes avoided, because of these dedicated men and women.

— jay r. jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Houstonians arrested with enough fentanyl to 'kill everyone in Toledo’," 22 Mar. 2018
The life sciences subsidiary provides supply chain, compliance, finance and technology support to biopharma and medical device companies.

— sarah hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee's Dohmen Company is selling its Dohmen Life Science Services Subsidiary," 20 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subsidiary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of subsidiary

Latin subsidiarius, from subsidium reserve troops

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1543

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

subsidiary

noun

Definition of subsidiary

plural subsidiaries

: one that is subsidiary; especially : a company wholly controlled by another

See subsidiary defined for English-language learners

Examples of subsidiary in a Sentence

one of the company's foreign subsidiaries

Recent Examples of subsidiary from the Web

One such alternative, using ankle bracelets, is run by a subsidiary of GEO Group called BI, under contract with ICE.

— Fortune, "Prison Operators Could Cash In on ‘Zero Tolerance’ Immigration Policy," 28 June 2018
The empty coffers meant that Faraday Future, which Jia treats like a subsidiary of LeEco, had to back out of its ambitious plan to build a $1 billion factory in the Nevada desert.

— sean o'kane, The Verge, "Faraday Future reveals the source of its $2 billion investment as a co-founder steps away," 26 June 2018
Stone Straw, founded by the inventor of the artificial straw, even survives in some form as the straw-distributing subsidiary of a Canadian manufacturing concern.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Disposable America," 21 June 2018
Built in 1978 by a subsidiary of Boise's legendary Morrison Knudsen Co., the U.S. Bank tower was long the tallest building in Idaho.

— sven berg, idahostatesman, "Why are Downtown Boise buildings so boring?," 20 June 2018
The worst rioting occurred at a steel factory being built in Ha Tinh Province by a subsidiary of Taiwan’s giant Formosa Plastics Group, where the company employed thousands of laborers from mainland China.

— richard c. paddock, New York Times, "Vietnamese Protest an Opening for Chinese Territorial Interests," 11 June 2018
The business later changed hands several times, with the brand now existing as a subsidiary of Tapestry (which until 2017 was known as Coach).

— kate gibson, CBS News, "Kate Spade began with a simple wish: An unfussy handbag," 5 June 2018
Central Maine Power operates as a direct subsidiary of Avangrid, while Vineyard Wind, as a joint venture, has more autonomy.

— joshua miller and jon chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "Democrats blast Baker after adviser helped energy companies win big state contracts," 29 May 2018
The only bowling alley was sold in February to a subsidiary of Titan Properties, who filed plans with the City of Orlando to turn it into a self-storage facility.

— kyle arnold, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Colonial Lanes closing May 24 after 59 years of strikes, spares and gutter balls," 18 May 2018

First Known Use of subsidiary

1603

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

SUBSIDIARY Defined for English Language Learners

subsidiary

adjective

Definition of subsidiary for English Language Learners

: not as important as something else
: owned or controlled by another company

subsidiary

noun

Definition of subsidiary for English Language Learners

: a company that is owned or controlled by another company

Law Dictionary

subsidiary

noun sub·sid·i·ary \ səb-ˈsi-dē-ˌer-ē, -ˈsi-də-rē \

legal Definition of subsidiary

plural subsidiaries

: a company having the majority of its stock owned by another company — compare affiliate

Note: The parent company of a subsidiary generally has the same policy-making powers as any majority owner and can do such things as appoint directors and hire officers. The subsidiary is controlled by the parent through these powers, and the parent may be held liable for the acts of the subsidiary if the subsidiary is found to be an instrumentality of the parent.

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