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🏢 A controlled company 🤝 Supporting
subsidiary

subsidiary

1 5.9
Helping and less important than the main part
  • adjective
  • /səbˈsɪdiˌɛri/
translation icon : secundario
  • The conglomerate oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies.
  • subsidiary role

In a way it's not, but it is a matter for the subsidiary art.

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Examples

  • In the company, the marketing department plays a subsidiary part in the overall strategy of product development.

  • We categorized the posters according to their main and subsidiary themes and, where possible, by commissioning body.

    Academic text (2010)

  • When one's nation becomes such an authority figure, there are subsidiary ones as well: the nation's leaders, and the nation's military.

    Blog text (34)

  • However, there are good reasons to also consider subsidiary capital structure from a governance perspective.

    Academic text (2018)

  • There are plenty of subsidiary reasons to worry about popular culture: political reasons, intellectual reasons, moral reasons.

    Academic text (1999)

  • We believe that government should play a subsidiary role to we the people in mitigating these profound human issues that are out there like homelessness.

  • Proponents of the latter concept suggest that subsidiary governments should enjoy greater autonomy in making regulatory decisions.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Knowledge assets are therefore an illustrative case of how subsidiary-specific assets can have implications for internal governance based on subsidiary capital structure.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The subsidiary role of the support staff is essential for the smooth operation of the organization.

  • Her suggestions were subsidiary to the main objectives of the project, helping to refine the overall plan.

Synonyms

auxiliary
vssubsidiary
69 6.5

Something that gives extra help or support

is more about serving as a regular lower support role
supplemental
vssubsidiary
52 5.0

Extra help or money that fills a gap in something

is about aiding in a secondary supporting role
subordinate
vssubsidiary
21 4.8

Lower in rank or importance and under someone's control

is focused on assisting or supporting rather than rank or control
supplementary
vssubsidiary
9 4.7

An extra part that makes something more complete or useful

is focused on assisting from a lower supporting role

Compounds

subsidiary company
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A business that a larger company owns and controls

subsidiary ledger
  • Specialized
7.4

A record that shows individual transactions for one main account, like customers' balances

How Supportive

auxiliary
69 6.5
subsidiary
1 5.9
peripheral
27 6.5

Surface Forms

subsidiary positive

Morphology

subsidiary = sub + subsidi + ary

The adjective conveys a subordinate/secondary meaning that learners can often infer from the prefix 'sub-' and the adjectival suffix '-ary', but the internal combining element is not a standalone English morpheme so the formation is not fully transparent.

Etymology

The word subsidiary comes from the Latin subsidium 'help', formed of sub- 'under' and a root meaning 'to sit', giving the idea of something put 'under' to support. That's why subsidiary as an adjective means 'helping' or 'secondary', a part that supports a more important thing.