subsidiary

subsidiary — adjective

1. less important or less significant when compared with something else that is the

1.形容詞B2
釋義

less important or less significant when compared with something else that is the main focus or priority

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • primary

    the main or most important element

  • main

    simpler, everyday alternative to 'primary'

  • principal

    formal; highest in importance or rank

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

❌His role is subsidiary to hers' (when meaning 'assistant' or 'supporting').
✅His role is auxiliary to hers
💡subsidiary means less important, not merely supportive or assisting.

2. belonging to and directed by a larger company or organisation that holds a major

2.形容詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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]

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • 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

❌The company owns a 30% share of its subsidiary.
✅The company owns a 30% share of its affiliate.
💡subsidiary implies majority control (over 50% ownership); a minority stake is an affiliate.
❌The Tokyo subsidiary is just an office with no separate legal registration.
✅The Tokyo branch is just an office.
💡a subsidiary is a separate legal company; a branch is not.

subsidiary — noun