subsidiary

1 of 2

adjective

sub·​sid·​i·​ary səb-ˈsi-dē-ˌer-ē 

-ˈsi-də-rē

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

subsidiarily

səb-ˌsi-dē-ˈer-ə-lē 

adverb

subsidiary

2 of 2

noun

plural subsidiaries

: one that is subsidiary

especially : a company wholly controlled by another

Examples of subsidiary in a Sentence

Noun

one of the company's foreign subsidiaries

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Effective immediately, Ma was succeeded by Echo Huang, an executive director of the company and CEO of subsidiary New World China Land since 2020, New World announced in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday. —Zinnia Lee, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

Since Narasimhan’s arrival at the helm in 2018, the group has separated from its subsidiary Alcon, which specialises in ophthalmology, listing it separately, and from Sandoz, which specialises in generic medicines, in 2023, also through an IPO. —Greg McKenna, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

Its subsidiary, Jubilant FoodWorks, operates the Domino's Pizza, Dunkin' Donuts, and Popeyes franchises in India, as well as Chinese restaurants under the Hong's Kitchen brand. —Yessar Rosendar, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

The popular chicken chain's subsidiary, Chick-fil-A Supply, is behind the 270,000-square-foot project and aims to wrap up construction by 2026. —Sydney Franklin, The Courier-Journal, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin subsidiarius, from subsidium reserve troops

First Known Use

Adjective

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1603, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

subsidiary

1 of 2 adjective

sub·​sid·​iary

səb-ˈsid-ē-ˌer-ē,

-ˈsid-ə-rē

: of secondary importance

subsidiary streams

subsidiary

2 of 2 noun

plural subsidiaries

: one that is subsidiary

especially : a company wholly controlled by another

Legal Definition

subsidiary

noun

sub·​sid·​i·​ary

səb-ˈsi-dē-ˌer-ē, -ˈsi-də-rē

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.

subsidiary adjective