subsidiary

/sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: subsidiaries

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Auxiliary or supplemental.

Adjective

Examples

chief ruler and principal head everywhere, not suffragant and subsidiary

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Secondary or subordinate.

Adjective

Examples

a subsidiary stream

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

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

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

A subordinate theme.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “subsidiary” mean?

Auxiliary or supplemental.

Is “subsidiary” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.