1 VERB If a feeling or noise subsides , it becomes less strong or loud. □ [V ] The pain had subsided during the night.
2 VERB If fighting subsides , it becomes less intense or general. □ [V ] Violence has subsided following two days of riots.
3 VERB If the ground or a building is subsiding , it is very slowly sinking to a lower level. □ [V ] Does that mean the whole house is subsiding?
4 VERB If a level of water, especially flood water, subsides , it goes down. □ [V ] Local officials say the flood waters have subsided.
sub|sid|ence /səbsa I d ə ns, sʌ bs I d ə ns/ N‑UNCOUNT When there is subsidence in a place, the ground there sinks to a lower level.
sub|sid|iari|ty /səbs I diæ r I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Subsidiarity is the principle of allowing the individual members of a large organization to make decisions on issues that affect them, rather than leaving those decisions to be made by the whole group. [TECHNICAL ] □ The chancellor knows that the principle of subsidiarity must be guaranteed and shown to work.
sub|sidi|ary /səbs I diəri, [AM ] -dieri/ (subsidiaries )
1 N‑COUNT [N n] A subsidiary or a subsidiary company is a company which is part of a larger and more important company. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ of ] Offshore banks are often formed as a subsidiary of an international bank.
2 ADJ If something is subsidiary , it is less important than something else with which it is connected. □ The economics ministry has increasingly played a subsidiary role to the finance ministry.
sub|si|dize /sʌ bs I da I z/ (subsidizes , subsidizing , subsidized ) in BRIT, also use subsidise VERB If a government or other authority subsidizes something, they pay part of the cost of it. □ [be V -ed] At the moment they are existing on pensions that are subsidised by the government. ● sub|si|dized ADJ □ …heavily subsidized prices for housing, bread, and meat. ● sub|si|diz|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …the subsidising of alternative energy sources. ● sub|si|di|za|tion /sʌ bs I da I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the federal government's subsidisation of poorer parts of the country.
sub|si|dy ◆◇◇ /sʌ bs I di/ (subsidies ) N‑COUNT A subsidy is money that is paid by a government or other authority in order to help an industry or business, or to pay for a public service. □ European farmers are planning a massive demonstration against farm subsidy cuts. SYNONYMS subsidy NOUN
aid: They have already pledged billions of dollars in aid.
support: …the government's proposal to cut agricultural support by only about 15%.
grant: They'd got a special grant to encourage research.
contribution: This list ranked companies that make charitable contributions of a half million dollars or more.
sub|sist /səbs I st/ (subsists , subsisting , subsisted ) VERB If people subsist , they are just able to obtain the food or money that they need in order to stay alive. [FORMAL ] □ [V + on ] The prisoners subsisted on one mug of the worst quality porridge three times a day.
sub|sist|ence /səbs I stəns/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Subsistence is the condition of just having enough food or money to stay alive. □ …below the subsistence level. □ The standard of living today is on the edge of subsistence.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] In subsistence farming or subsistence agriculture, farmers produce food to eat themselves rather than to sell. □ Many black Namibians are subsistence farmers who live in the arid borderlands.
sub|soil /sʌ bsɔ I l/ N‑UNCOUNT The subsoil is a layer of earth that is just below the surface soil but above hard rock. □ …the chalk subsoil on the site.
sub|son|ic /sʌ bsɒ n I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Subsonic speeds or aeroplanes are very fast but slower than the speed of sound. □ This is 20,000 feet higher than most subsonic airliners.
su b-species (sub-species ) also subspecies N‑COUNT A sub-species of a plant or animal is one of the types that a particular species is divided into. □ [+ of ] Several other sub-species of gull are found in the region.
sub|stance ◆◇◇ /sʌ bstəns/ (substances )
1 N‑COUNT A substance is a solid, powder, liquid, or gas with particular properties. □ Ethylene glycol is a poisonous substance found in antifreeze. □ The substance that's causing the problem comes from the barley.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Substance is the quality of being important or significant. [FORMAL ] □ It's questionable whether anything of substance has been achieved. □ Syria will attend only if the negotiations deal with issues of substance.
3 N‑SING The substance of what someone says or writes is the main thing that they are trying to say. □ [+ of ] The substance of his discussions doesn't really matter.
4 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something has no substance , you mean that it is not true. [FORMAL ] □ There is no substance in any of these allegations.
su b-sta ndard also substandard ADJ A sub-standard service or product is unacceptable because it is below a required standard. □ Residents in general are poor and undereducated, and live in sub-standard housing.
sub|stan|tial ◆◇◇ /səbstæ nʃ ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Substantial means large in amount or degree. [FORMAL ] □ The party has just lost office and with it a substantial number of seats. SYNONYMS substantial ADJ
large: The gang finally fled with a large amount of cash and jewellery.