subsidiary
gb/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/ us/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
C1
English
~ 7900
másodlagos, alárendelt, leányvállalat, leánycég, leányvállalati, anyavállalat által ellenőrzött, kiegészítő, másodlagos tényező
C1
FORMAL
1
másodlagos
B2
alárendelt
C1
Usage pattern:
a subsidiary [role/issue/factor] (to [something])
Funding for arts education is often treated as a subsidiary concern compared with core academic subjects.
A művészeti nevelés finanszírozását az alapvető tanulmányi tárgyakhoz képest gyakran másodlagos szempontként kezelik.
The legal questions are subsidiary to the moral issues raised by the case.
A jogi kérdések alárendeltek az ügy által felvetett erkölcsi kérdéseknek.
In the meeting he played only a subsidiary role, supporting the lead negotiator with data.
The book’s historical notes are subsidiary to its main narrative but still very informative.
These subsidiary points are useful, but they should not distract from the central argument.
Learner examples
Her job is subsidiary to the work of the team leader.
A munkája a csoportvezető munkájának van alárendelve.
The cost is a subsidiary issue; safety is more important.
A költség másodlagos kérdés; a biztonság fontosabb.
These details are subsidiary and not part of the main story.
The report has a main part and some subsidiary notes at the end.
A subsidiary question came up, but the teacher stayed with the main topic.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "subsidiary" with "subsidized" because they look similar. "Subsidiary" means secondary or supporting; "subsidized" means financially supported by a government or another body. Learners also sometimes use "subsidiary" where the neutral word "other" or "extra" would be more natural in everyday, non-formal speech.
Meaning
less important but related or supporting
Collocations
subsidiary role
|subsidiary issue
|subsidiary question
|subsidiary point
|subsidiary responsibility
|subsidiary argument
Synonyms
secondary (More common and slightly less formal; does not always suggest support for a main thing.)
|
ancillary (Very similar but often used for services or staff that support a main activity.)
|
subordinate (Stronger sense of lower rank or importance; can sound more hierarchical or negative.)
Antonyms
main (Direct opposite in terms of importance; describes what is primary rather than supporting.)
|
primary (Stresses first importance or priority, contrasting with something secondary or subsidiary.)
Themes
communication
|business
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Less important than the main thing, but still related to it and helping it.
Less important than, but closely connected with and supporting, something more central or main.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
leánycég
B2
Usage pattern:
[company] is a subsidiary of [company]
The software firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of a large Japanese conglomerate.
A szoftvercég egy nagy japán konglomerátum százszázalékos tulajdonú leányvállalata.
They plan to establish a new subsidiary in Singapore to handle their Asian operations.
Új leányvállalatot terveznek létrehozni Szingapúrban az ázsiai tevékenységük kezelésére.
After the merger, several smaller subsidiaries were sold off to reduce debt.
Profits from the European subsidiary increased by 12% last year.
The lawsuit named both the parent company and its local subsidiary as defendants.
Learner examples
The car company has a subsidiary that makes parts.
Az autógyárnak van egy alkatrészeket gyártó leányvállalata.
Our office in Brazil is a subsidiary of the London company.
A brazíliai irodánk a londoni cég egyik leányvállalatához tartozik.
The parent company sold its American subsidiary.
He works for a small subsidiary of a big bank.
They opened a new subsidiary in another country.
Common mistake:
Learners often think a subsidiary is just a "small" company. Size is not required; a subsidiary is defined by ownership and control by a parent company. Some also confuse "subsidiary" with "branch"; a branch is usually not a separate legal company, while a subsidiary normally is.
Meaning
company controlled by another company
Collocations
wholly owned subsidiary
|foreign subsidiary
|overseas subsidiary
|subsidiary of [company]
|set up a subsidiary
|sell a subsidiary
Synonyms
affiliate (Often suggests a related or partly owned company; control may be weaker or less direct than a subsidiary.)
|
division (Usually refers to an internal part of a company, not a legally separate company like a subsidiary.)
|
branch (More often used for a local office of the same company rather than a separate legal company.)
Antonyms
parent company (The company that owns or controls the subsidiary, standing in the opposite role in the ownership relationship.)
|
independent company (Highlights that no other company controls it, opposite to being a subsidiary.)
Themes
business
|finance
|law
Definition
A company that belongs to another, bigger company, which can control what it does.
A company that is owned or controlled by another, usually larger, company.
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
a subsidiary [company/operation/business]
The bank transferred its risky assets to a subsidiary company.
A bank a kockázatos eszközeit egy leányvállalatába helyezte át.
All European sales are handled through a subsidiary business based in Dublin.
Az összes európai értékesítést egy Dublinban működő leányvállalat intézi.
Profits generated by subsidiary operations are reported separately from the parent company’s core activities.
They created a subsidiary entity to manage the new product line.
Regulators demanded clearer reporting from the group’s various subsidiary companies.
Learner examples
She works for a subsidiary company of a big oil firm.
Egy nagy olajvállalat leányvállalatánál dolgozik.
The firm controls several subsidiary banks in Asia.
A cég több ázsiai leánybankot irányít.
The new jobs are in a subsidiary office in Canada.
Their subsidiary business sells food online.
We opened a subsidiary shop under the same brand.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "subsidiary" before people (e.g. *"a subsidiary worker"*). This is unnatural; use it before business nouns like "company", "bank", or "operation", not before a person.
Meaning
owned or controlled by a parent company
Collocations
subsidiary company
|subsidiary business
|subsidiary operation
|subsidiary bank
|subsidiary office
|subsidiary undertaking
Synonyms
affiliated (Suggests being officially connected; may not always mean full control like a subsidiary unit.)
|
owned (More general; does not by itself suggest the specific legal status of being a subsidiary.)
Antonyms
independent (Highlights that the company or operation is not controlled by another company.)
Themes
business
|finance
|law
Definition
Used to talk about a business, office, or activity that belongs to another, bigger company.
Describing a business unit, office, or operation that is owned or controlled by a parent company as a subsidiary.
NOUN
C2
FORMAL
4
kiegészítő
B2
Usage pattern:
a subsidiary to [something]
The lecture used slides only as a subsidiary to the spoken explanation.
Az előadásban a diákat csak a szóbeli magyarázat kiegészítőjeként használták.
In this project, translation is a subsidiary to the primary research work.
Ebben a projektben a fordítás a fő kutatómunka kiegészítője.
The charts are a helpful subsidiary, but the text carries the main argument.
Any profit from book sales is a subsidiary to the organization’s educational mission.
The mobile app began as a subsidiary to the main website but later became more popular.
Learner examples
The pictures are just a subsidiary to the story.
A képek csak a történet kiegészítői.
Money is a subsidiary to his real goal of helping people.
A pénz csak másodlagos tényező a valódi céljához, az emberek segítéséhez képest.
The notes are a useful subsidiary, but the class is more important.
The small report is a subsidiary to the big final report.
This job is a subsidiary to her main work as a teacher.
Common mistake:
This noun sense is rare; learners are more likely to meet the adjective or company noun sense. Learners may overuse this formal noun where a simpler word like "extra" or "support" is more natural.
Meaning
supporting thing of lesser importance
Collocations
as a subsidiary to
|a mere subsidiary
|a useful subsidiary
|a subsidiary to the main task
Synonyms
supplement (Focuses on being an added part; less emphasis on lower importance than "subsidiary".)
|
adjunct (Formal word for something added or joined; very close in register and use.)
Antonyms
main element (Names the central or most important part, opposite to a supporting or lesser part.)
Themes
communication
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A thing that is not the main thing, but helps it or is extra to it.
Something that is less important than another thing but supports or is additional to it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
subsidiary
IPA
GB/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
US/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
sub - si - di - ary (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (si)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: subsidiary
Noun
- Base: subsidiary
- Plural: subsidiaries
Word family
Expressions
foreign subsidiary
1/fˈɔɹən sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
technical
subsidiary in another country
A company in another country that is owned or controlled by a parent company.
Examples
- Tax changes will affect all of the corporation’s foreign subsidiaries.
- The firm uses its foreign subsidiary to serve customers in Asia.
- Profits from the foreign subsidiary are subject to local regulations.
overseas subsidiary
1/ˈoʊvɚsˈiz sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
technical
subsidiary based abroad
A company in another country that is owned by a parent company in your country.
Examples
- The manufacturer plans to open an overseas subsidiary in Vietnam.
- Most of their growth now comes from overseas subsidiaries.
- The report lists all overseas subsidiaries and joint ventures.
subsidiary body
1/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi bˈɑdi/
fixed phrase
technical
organization under a main organization
A group or committee that is under the control of a larger main organization and helps it with part of its work.
Examples
- The United Nations has several subsidiary bodies to handle specialized issues.
- A new subsidiary body was created to oversee environmental standards.
- Reports from subsidiary bodies are submitted to the main council each year.
subsidiary company
1/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi kˈʌmpəni/
fixed phrase
technical
company that is a subsidiary
A company that is owned or controlled by another company.
Examples
- The group owns several subsidiary companies across Europe.
- Profits from the subsidiary company are reported separately from the parent’s main operations.
- They set up a subsidiary company to manage their real estate assets.
subsidiary legislation
1/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi lˌɛd͡ʒɪslˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
laws made under main law
Legal rules made by a person or body under powers given by a main law, not by the main parliament itself.
Examples
- Details of the new tax rules will be set out in subsidiary legislation.
- The court found that the subsidiary legislation went beyond the powers of the main Act.
- Subsidiary legislation allows governments to update technical rules more quickly.
subsidiary question
1/sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi kwˈɛst͡ʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
secondary or follow-up question
A smaller or less important question that comes from a bigger main question.
Examples
- This raises a subsidiary question about who should pay for the damage.
- The committee focused on the main issue and dealt with subsidiary questions later.
- Once the main policy is agreed, subsidiary questions can be settled more easily.
wholly owned subsidiary
1/hˈoʊli ˈoʊnd sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
business
company fully owned by another
A company that belongs 100% to another company.
Examples
- The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of a large multinational.
- They acquired the business and turned it into a wholly owned subsidiary.
wholly owned subsidiary
2/hˈoʊli ˈoʊnd sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
technical
subsidiary 100% owned by parent
A company that is completely (100%) owned by one other company.
Examples
- The airline operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the national carrier.
- They converted the joint venture into a wholly owned subsidiary after buying the remaining shares.
- The tech giant runs the start-up as a wholly owned subsidiary to test new products.