n.
(pl. subsidies)
- a sum of money granted from public funds to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low.
▸a sum of money granted to support an undertaking held to be in the public interest.
▸a grant or contribution of money.
- historical a parliamentary grant to the sovereign for state needs.
▸a tax levied on a particular occasion.
Etymology
ME: from Anglo-Norman Fr. subsidie, from L. subsidium ‘assistance’.