subsidy

/ˈsʌbsədi/

/ˈsʌbsɪdi/

Other forms: subsidies

A subsidy is a grant of financial assistance. Many school districts, for example, offer a subsidy to low-income families for book fees and lunch costs. The family pays a set amount and the district makes up the difference.

The noun subsidy comes from French and Latin roots that mean "help and aid." Subsidies are most often offered by the government, but individuals can offer subsidies as well. "The parents offered to give a subsidy for students to go on the ski trip. The deal was that if the kids earned half the money, the parents would pay for the other half."

Definitions of subsidy

1. noun

   a grant paid by a government to an enterprise that benefits the public
   “a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence”

   types:

   subvention

   grant of financial aid as from a government to an educational institution

   price support

   a government subsidy used to maintain prices at a certain level

   type of:

   grant

   any monetary aid