subsidy

sub·si·dy | \ ˈsəb-sə-dē

How to pronounce subsidy (audio)

, -zə-\

plural subsidies

Definition of subsidy

: a grant or gift of money: such as

a : a sum of money formerly granted by the British Parliament to the crown and raised by special taxation

b : money granted by one state to another

c : a grant by a government to a private person or company to assist an enterprise deemed advantageous to the public

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Examples of subsidy in a Sentence

The city is increasing subsidies for public transit. government subsidies for farmers in case of crop failure

Recent Examples on the Web About $600 million of federal subsidies goes to investments on the Northeast. — Washington Post, "Amtrak touts record ridership, revenue for fiscal 2019," 8 Nov. 2019 For many Chinese investors, a combination of rising domestic competition and rolling back of subsidies at home has widened their gaze. — Charlie Campbell / Shanghai, Time, "China Is Bankrolling Green Energy Projects Around the World," 1 Nov. 2019 Econet Wireless this week hiked mobile voice call and mobile data tariffs while fuel has also gone up by about 12% after the removal of subsidies on petroleum products this year. — Tawanda Karombo, Quartz Africa, "How to understand why Zimbabwe is bringing back the Zim dollar and the limits of mobile money," 31 Oct. 2019 She was criticized for distorting economic figures and building a patchwork of unsustainable subsidies that set the stage for the state’s insolvency when commodities prices dropped during her time in office. — New York Times, "In Argentina Election, Leftists Savor Victory Over Incumbent," 27 Oct. 2019 To cite one: Fiat Chrysler's plan for a new Jeep assembly plant on Detroit's east side generated debate over the size of public subsidies. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "This hidden real estate sector is the healthiest in metro Detroit," 23 Oct. 2019 However, experts say the original design of the law's subsidies is probably the major stabilizing force. — Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar, chicagotribune.com, "Obamacare exchange to offer more insurance choices, slightly lower premiums in 2020," 22 Oct. 2019 Proponents of the nuclear plant subsidies have claimed that China is going to take over Ohio's energy grid. — Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio's bizarre nuclear bailout brawl might be just getting started," 18 Oct. 2019 One possible outcome is that the public option on offer could be robust and equitable, with good coverage, low premiums, and functionally solid mechanisms for automatic enrollment and the accurate determination of subsidies. — Libby Watson, The New Republic, "The Public Option Bait and Switch," 17 Oct. 2019

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

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Last Updated

14 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for subsidy

The first known use of subsidy was in the 14th century

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