Standard Lemma guide

subsidiary

adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/
  • /sʌbˈsɪ.dəɹ.i/
  • /sʌbˈsɪ.d͡ʒəɹ.i/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 B S IH1 D IY0 EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Auxiliary or supplemental.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Secondary or subordinate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a subsidiary stream

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or relating to a subsidy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • subsidiary payments to an ally

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A company owned by a parent company or a holding company, also called daughter company or sister company.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A subordinate theme.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

One who aids or supplies; an assistant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

functioning in a supporting capacity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the main library and its auxiliary branches

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: auxiliary, supplemental, supplementary

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a company that is completely controlled by another company

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subsidiary company

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: company

9

noun

Meaning 9

an assistant subject to the authority or control of another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subordinate, underling, foot soldier

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: assistant, helper, help, supporter

Narrower terms: associate, bottom dog, cog, man, second fiddle, second banana

History

Etymology

From Middle French subsidiaire, from Latin subsidiarius (“belonging to a reserve”).

Across languages

Translations

100 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: помощен (pomošten) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Bulgarian: спомагателен (spomagatelen) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Danish: hjælpe- — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Danish: subsidiær — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Finnish: lisä- — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Finnish: täydentävä — auxiliary or supplemental
  • French: subsidiaire — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Georgian: დამხმარე (damxmare) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Georgian: დამატებითი (damaṭebiti) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • German: ergänzend — auxiliary or supplemental
  • German: nebensächlich — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Greek: επικουρικός (epikourikós) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Greek: βοηθητικός (voïthitikós) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Hungarian: járulékos — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Hungarian: kiegészítő — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Hungarian: kisegítő — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Norwegian: subsidiær — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Portuguese: subsidiário — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Portuguese: subsidiária — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Romanian: subsidiar — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Russian: вспомога́тельный (vspomogátelʹnyj) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Russian: дополни́тельный (dopolnítelʹnyj) — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Swedish: subsidiär — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Turkish: iştirakî — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Turkish: tâbî — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Turkish: yan — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Welsh: atodol — auxiliary or supplemental
  • Bulgarian: помощен (pomošten) — secondary or subordinate
  • Danish: datter- — secondary or subordinate
  • Finnish: sivu- — secondary or subordinate
  • Finnish: toissijainen — secondary or subordinate
  • French: secondaire — secondary or subordinate
  • Georgian: მეორადი (meoradi) — secondary or subordinate
  • Georgian: მეორეხარისხოვანი (meorexarisxovani) — secondary or subordinate
  • German: Tochter- — secondary or subordinate
  • German: subsidiär — secondary or subordinate
  • German: untergeordnet — secondary or subordinate
  • German: nachgeordnet — secondary or subordinate
  • Greek: δευτερεύων (defterévon) — secondary or subordinate
  • Hungarian: al- — secondary or subordinate
  • Hungarian: mellék- — secondary or subordinate
  • Portuguese: subsidiário — secondary or subordinate
  • Romanian: subsidiar — secondary or subordinate
  • Russian: второстепенный (vtorostepennyj) — secondary or subordinate
  • Turkish: ikincil — secondary or subordinate
  • Turkish: tâlî — secondary or subordinate
  • Bulgarian: субсидиен (subsidien) — of or relating to a subsidy
  • Finnish: avustus- — of or relating to a subsidy
  • Finnish: apu- — of or relating to a subsidy
  • Finnish: tuki- — of or relating to a subsidy
  • French: subsidiaire — of or relating to a subsidy
  • German: unterstützend — of or relating to a subsidy
  • Hungarian: támogatási célú/jellegű — of or relating to a subsidy
  • Portuguese: subsidiário — of or relating to a subsidy
  • Bulgarian: дъщерна компания (dǎšterna kompanija) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Bulgarian: филиал (filial) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Catalan: filial — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Chinese Mandarin: 子公司 (zǐgōngsī) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Czech: dceřiná společnost — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Czech: dceřiný podnik — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Danish: datterselskab — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Dutch: dochterbedrijf — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Dutch: filiaal — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Dutch: dochteronderneming — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Finnish: tytäryhtiö — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • French: filiale — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Georgian: შვილობილი კომპანია (švilobili ḳomṗania) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • German: Tochterunternehmen — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • German: Tochtergesellschaft — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • German: Tochterfirma — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • German: Tochter — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • German: Zweigunternehmen — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • German: Zweigniederlassung — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Greek: θυγατρική εταιρία (thygatrikí etairía) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Greek: παράρτημα (parártima) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Hindi: समनुषंगी (samnuṣaṅgī) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Hungarian: leányvállalat — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Hungarian: fiók — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Icelandic: dótturfyrirtæki — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Irish: fochomhlacht — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Italian: filiale — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Japanese: 子会社 (kogaisha) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Norwegian: datterselskap — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Polish: spółka zależna — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Portuguese: filial — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Portuguese: subsidiária — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Romanian: companie subsidiară — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Romanian: subsidiară — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Russian: дочерняя компа́ния (dočernjaja kompánija) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Russian: до́чка (dóčka) — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Serbo-Croatian: podružnica — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Spanish: filial — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Spanish: subsidiaria — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Spanish: sucursal — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Swedish: dotterbolag — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Tagalog: kubsamahan — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Turkish: bağlı kuruluş — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Turkish: bağlı şirket — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Turkish: tâbî şirket — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
  • Turkish: yavru şirket — company owned by a parent company or a holding company
Real reading context

subsidiary in complete knowledge articles