What does subsidy mean?
Word: Subsidy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Subsidy means money that a government or group pays to lower the cost of something, so that people can afford it or a business can keep going.
Synonyms: aid, allowance
How do you spell subsidy?
Syllables: sub - si - dy
Tricky part: The s sound comes twice and both times it is spelt with s, never c. The word ends in dy, not dey or di.
Watch out for: subcidy, subsidey, subsidi
Memory tip: Subsidy has two s's and not a single c, though both of its hissing sounds could fool you into writing one.
Subsidy in a sentence
Example 1: The state gives a subsidy to families who fit solar panels on their roofs.
Example 2: Thanks to a travel subsidy, students pay only half the bus fare.
Example 3: Without a subsidy, many small farmers could not afford new seeds.
Fun Fact
In many countries, farmers receive a government subsidy to help them grow food and keep prices low.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: subsidy
a) loss
b) grant
c) fine
d) penalty
Show answer
b) grant. Both a grant and a subsidy are money given to help; a penalty and a fine take money away.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
s_bs_dy
a) u,e
b) a,i
c) u,i
d) o,i
Show answer
c) u,i. It begins with sub, as in submarine, and the middle syllable is si.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) pention
b) allowence
c) subsidy
d) revenew
Show answer
c) subsidy. Subsidy is correct; allowance needs a, pension needs s and revenue ends in ue.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
dibsuys
a) subside
b) busily
c) subsidy
d) subsist
Show answer
c) subsidy. These letters have a y and no e, so they make subsidy, not subside.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A farmer gets a subsidy on fertiliser. This means ____.
a) the farmer must pay a big fine
b) the shop doubles the usual price
c) the state pays part of the price
d) the fertiliser has been banned
Show answer
c) the state pays part of the price
2. Which verb belongs to the same family as subsidy?
a) subsidise
b) subside
c) subscribe
d) substitute
Show answer
a) subsidise
