subsidiary
/səbˈsɪdiəri/ (bre, ipa) · /səbˈsɪdieri/ (ame, ipa) · /səb-ˈsi-dē-ˌer-ē -ˈsi-də-rē/ (ame, mw) · /səbˈsɪd.i.ə.ri/ (bre, ipa) · /səbˈsɪd.i.er.i/ (ame, ipa)
subsidiary — adjective
- subsidiarypositive
- more subsidiarycomparative
- most subsidiarysuperlative
1. less important or less significant when compared with something else that is the
less important or less significant when compared with something else that is the main focus or priority
Wall colours are subsidiary to the safety issues the team must discuss.
subsidiary to [main concern]
Kabir viewed his weekend job as subsidiary once his acting career began to grow.
In the report, the financial projections are subsidiary to the main conclusion about sales.
These minor details about parking are subsidiary to the overall plan for the new school.
- secondary
more common at B1 level; broader meaning covering both 'less important' and 'coming second in order'
- minor
stronger emphasis on smallness of importance; works in everyday speech
- subordinate
more formal; often implies position within a clear hierarchy
文法句型
subsidiary + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always followed by the preposition 'to', which introduces the more important item being compared. This sense is mostly found in formal or analytical writing rather than everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. belonging to and directed by a larger company or organisation that holds a major
belonging to and directed by a larger company or organisation that holds a majority stake — for example, a clothing brand whose shares are mostly held by a big international retail group
The hotel chain operates through a wholly-owned subsidiary company in Japan.
wholly-owned subsidiary company
Zuri's engineering firm became a subsidiary of the German automotive group last year.
subsidiary of [parent company]
The bakery brand is a subsidiary operation of a much larger food corporation in Chicago.
Many subsidiary branches across the country were closed after the merger with the rival bank.
- controlled
focuses on the element of control rather than ownership; less precise in business contexts
- affiliated
implies a looser connection; an affiliated company is not necessarily majority-owned
- parent
the larger company that owns the subsidiary
- controlling
describes the company that holds the majority of shares
文法句型
subsidiary + noun (company/brand/operation)
用法筆記
Frequently appears with 'wholly-owned' to indicate that the parent company owns 100% of the shares. A subsidiary remains a separate legal entity from its parent, which distinguishes it from a branch or a division.
常見錯誤
subsidiary — noun
- subsidiarysingular
- subsidiariesplural
1. a business entity that is majority-owned and directed by a larger parent organis
a business entity that is majority-owned and directed by a larger parent organisation — for example, a car manufacturer whose main shares belong to a global automotive group
The Australian mining subsidiary reported record profits for the financial year.
[adjective] subsidiary (Australian mining)
Tamás was appointed to lead the company's European subsidiary from its Madrid office.
lead/run a subsidiary
The parent company sold its loss-making subsidiary to an overseas competitor last quarter.
Each subsidiary operates independently, but the parent firm sets the overall strategy for the group.
- parent company
the larger company that owns the subsidiary
- holding company
a company created specifically to own other companies
文法句型
subsidiary + of + [parent company]
set up/establish + a subsidiary
用法筆記
A subsidiary is a separate legal entity with its own board of directors, which differentiates it from a division or department. In business news, adjectives like 'overseas', 'wholly-owned', or 'loss-making' commonly appear before the noun.