Meaning & use
subsidised
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“subsidised” is a form of “subsidize”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Having part of its cost paid by a government or organisation, so that the buyer pays less.
Grammar: Often before a noun: subsidised housing, subsidised meals.
Patterns
- subsidised housing
- subsidised by something
Students can buy subsidised meals in the university canteen.
The city offers subsidised bus passes to older residents.
Subsidised childcare helps more parents return to work.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of subsidise: paid part of the cost of something to help keep its price low.
Grammar: Takes an object: the state subsidised farming.
Patterns
- subsidised something with something
- something is subsidised by someone
The government subsidised wind farms for ten years.
Her parents subsidised her rent while she studied.
Profits from the shop subsidised the free programmes.
Word forms
| base form | subsidise |
|---|---|
| third person singular | subsidises |
| -ing form | subsidising |
Common combinations
- heavily subsidised
- Train travel is heavily subsidised in some countries.
- publicly subsidised
- The theatre is publicly subsidised.
- subsidised housing
- Subsidised housing keeps rents affordable for nurses.
- subsidised by the state
- The bakery is not subsidised by the state.
- subsidised school meals
- Subsidised school meals cost just a pound.
Synonyms and how they differ
- funded
- Funded covers any money given for a project, while subsidised specifically means money that lowers the price paid by users.
- supported
- Supported is a vague word that could mean moral help, while subsidised clearly means financial help.
- sponsored
- Sponsored suggests a company paying for publicity, but subsidised suggests public money keeping prices low.
- underwritten
- Underwritten means a backer guarantees to cover losses, a more formal and narrower idea than subsidised.
Opposites
Word family
- subsidise verb
- to pay part of the cost
- subsidy noun
- money paid to keep prices low
- subsidisation noun
- the act of providing a subsidy
- unsubsidised adjective
- not receiving subsidy
Commonly confused: subsidised or subsidized?
subsidised vs subsidized
This is the American spelling of the same word and has no difference in meaning.
Practice
Which phrase best describes lunches that cost the buyer less because the council pays part of the price?
Choose one answer.
Subsidised means partly paid for by an outside funder. The other options describe quality or price in unrelated ways.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subsidised”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.