tied aid

Meaning

1. 1noununcountabletechnicalfinance

   Money or help given by one country to another on the condition that the receiving country buys goods or services from the donor.

   Grammar: Uncountable, so it takes a singular verb and no article: Tied aid is controversial.

   Patterns

   • tied aid from a country
   • provide tied aid to someone
   • be funded by tied aid

   Much of the money was tied aid, so the roads had to be built by firms from the donor country.

   Critics say tied aid raises costs for the country receiving it.

   The report found that tied aid made up about half of the total assistance.

Common combinations

tied aid policy

The government changed its tied aid policy to allow local contractors to bid.

provide tied aid

Several wealthy nations still provide tied aid to poorer countries.

untie tied aid

Campaigners want donors to untie tied aid and let recipients choose their own suppliers.

a large share of tied aid

A large share of tied aid goes to construction and engineering projects.

tied aid budget

The tied aid budget was cut after the election.

Synonyms and how they differ

conditional assistance

A broader term for help given only if certain conditions are met, not necessarily about buying from the donor.

restricted funding

Used more generally in finance and grants; it stresses limits on how money may be spent.

Opposites

Word family

untied aid noun

Aid with no requirement to buy from the donor country.

tie verb

To connect or limit something to a condition, as in tie funding to a purchase.

donor noun

A country or organization that gives aid.

Commonly confused: tied aid or foreign aid? tied aid or trade?

Practice

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