subsidize

verb

sub·​si·​dize ˈsəb-sə-ˌdīz 

-zə-

subsidized; subsidizing

transitive verb

: to furnish with a subsidy: such as

a

: to purchase the assistance of by payment of a subsidy

b

: to aid or promote (someone or something, such as a private enterprise) with public money

subsidize soybean farmers

subsidize public transportation

subsidization

ˌsəb-sə-də-ˈzā-shən 

-zə-

noun

subsidizer noun

Synonyms of subsidize

• fund
• finance

Examples of subsidize in a Sentence

The state subsidizes housing for low-income families.

She feels that private businesses should not be subsidized by taxpayers.

The company subsidizes health insurance for its employees.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Planning and Land Use Management Committee instructed the city Planning Department in October 2025 to explore alternative price points for appeals that would decrease the amount of money the city’s general fund would have to subsidize. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

The city must subsidize trash service just over $12 million per year in both fiscal 2028 and fiscal 2029 because of a settlement last spring. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

While there haven’t been substantive discussions on the issue, Zbur says talks so far have acknowledged that taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidizing compensation for executives or A-listers. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026

In the Supreme Court’s latest religious-freedom case, a Catholic school argues that the state has a constitutional duty to subsidize its discrimination. — David Cole, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1755, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subsidize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

subsidize

verb

sub·​si·​dize ˈsəb-sə-ˌdīz 

-zə-

subsidized; subsidizing

: to aid or furnish with a subsidy

subsidization

ˌsəb-səd-ə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌsəb-zəd-

noun

subsidizer noun