subsidizev.
/ˈsʌbsᵻdʌɪz/, U.S. /ˈsəbsəˌdaɪz/ 1.
a. transitive. To pay money to (a country or leader) in order to secure military assistance or neutrality. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > grants and allowances > support by payment [verb (transitive)] > pay subsidy to (a country)
subsidize1753
1753 [see subsidizing n.].
1755 J. E. Oglethorpe Naked Truth (ed. 3) 25 We have nothing to do but to subsidise all Germany, the King of Prussia amongst the rest, if we can get him.
a1797 H. Walpole Mem. George III (1845) I. vii. 105 Little Princes are subsidized, when not worthy of reciprocation.
1805 in Spirit of Public Jrnls. (1806) 9 1 I have sought relief in hearing the censure of Administration for subsidizing the Continent.
1860 L. V. Harcourt Diaries G. Rose I. 66 To subsidize one power against another.
1927 Encycl. Islam (1987) II. 219/1 The treaty with Sweden..to subsidise this country in the war with Russia was of little avail.
b. transitive. To pay money to (mercenary or foreign troops) for the provision of military services.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > grants and allowances > support by payment [verb (transitive)] > pay subsidy to (a country) > pay subsidy for services of
subsidize1776
1776 Scots Mag. Apr. 171/2 We had already shewn, by subsidizing foreign mercenaries to butcher our fellow-subjects in America, that we..had not natural strength enough.
1795 W. Seward Anecd. (1796) III. 382 Lord Chatham was obliged to call in to its aid the mercenary troops of other Nations: these..he subsidised with a liberal..hand.
1803 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1835) II. 223 The latter has agreed to subsidize one company of artillery and two battalions of native infantry.
1838 W. H. Prescott Hist. Reign Ferdinand & Isabella III. ii. xiv. 115 He obtained a small supply of men from his Italian allies, and subsidized a corps of eight thousand Swiss.
1878 W. E. H. Lecky Hist. Eng. 18th Cent. I. iii. 350 An army of about 44000 Swedes, Danes, and Hessians was subsidised.
1910 W. Lee-Warner Native States India viii. 224 The Maharaja's minister, Raoji Apaji, undertook to subsidise a British force, and ceded territories for the purpose.
1994 J. E. Thomson Mercenaries, Pirates & Sovereigns iv. 96 They do not lease their armies to other states, and they do not directly subsidize other states' armies.
2. In extended uses.
a. transitive. To secure the services of (a person, organization, etc.) by payment or bribery. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > illegal payment or exaction > [verb (transitive)] > bribe
meedOE
underorna1325
corrump1387
forbuy1393
hirec1400
wage1461
fee1487
under-arearc1503
bribe1528
grease1528
money1528
corrupt1548
budc1565
to feed with money1567
to put out a person's eyes with (a gift, bribe, etc.)1580
sweeten1594
to grease the fist or (one) in the fist1598
over-bribe1619
to buy off1629
palter1641
to take off1646
buy1652
overmoneya1661
bub1684
to speak to ——1687
to tickle in the palm1694
daub1699
overbuy1710
touch1752
palm1767
to get at ——1780
fix1790
subsidize1793
sop1837
to buy over1848
backsheesh1850
nobble1856
square1859
hippodrome1866
see1867
boodleize1883
boodle1886
to get to ——1901
reach1906
straighten1923
lubricate1928
to keep (someone) sweet1939
sling1939
to pay off1942
bung1950
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > paying (money) for labour or service > pay (a person) for labour or service [verb (transitive)] > secure services of by payment
subsidize1793
1793 European Mag. & London Rev. Oct. 322/2 The widow Capet has not for a moment withheld criminal intelligence and correpondence with Foreign powers..by agents devoted to her, whom she subsidized and caused to be paid out of the treasury.
1815 W. H. Ireland Scribbleomania 26 (note) Deigning to subsidize a venal pen in order to throw a gloss over the flagrant dereliction.
1862 F. Hall tr. N. N. Gore Rational Refut. Hindu Philos. Syst. 122 In its operations, it [sc. the soul] subsidizes all the sense-organs.
1871 Daily News 6 Nov. It was..to abstain..from subsidising the press.
1899 R. Kipling Stalky & Co. 66 The three..stood to attention..in full view of all the visitors, to whom fags, subsidised for that end, pointed them out as victims of Prout's tyranny.
1966 J. W. Barker Justinian & Later Rom. Empire vi. 213 These newcomers to the Balkans had already begun to cause difficulties for Justinian... He had subsidized them with minimal success.
1992 Sky Mag. (Delta Airlines) Dec. 100/3 The queen may have wanted to subsidize the earl so that he would rally the nation with his patriotic histories.
b. transitive. To support by grants of money; spec. (a) (of a state, public body, company, etc.) to contribute towards the running costs of (an organization, activity, commodity, etc.), esp. in order to keep prices low for the consumer; (b) to provide funding to help maintain (a person or his or her lifestyle, etc.).In quot. 1798 with admixture of sense 2a.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > grants and allowances > support by payment [verb (transitive)]
subsist1625
subsidize1798
subvent1848
subvention1852
subventionize1879
bankroll1915
1798 Biogr. Anecd. Founders French Republic II. 414 The committees of government resolved that two or three journalists should be subsidised, with a view of infusing into the minds of the French the true spirit of the new constitution.
1828 R. Southey in Q. Rev. 38 592 For the British Government to pay the Roman Catholic clergy would be to subsidize the Court of Rome against itself.
1871 Pall Mall Gaz. 23 Aug. 10 M. Thiers' unhappy stroke of financial ingenuity actually subsidizes the detested Teuton.
1885 Manch. Examiner 17 Feb. 5/2 The schools..have been subsidised by grants from the county magistrates.
1911 War Dept. Provis. Subsidy Scheme 1 The full terms under which the War Department will subsidize vehicles.
1926 Amer. Mercury Apr. 430/1 The notorious Board of Temperance..is heavily subsidized by such opulent laymen as Sebastian S. Kresge.
1954 P. Frankau Wreath for Enemy i. iii. 24 My ambition..is that she acquire a rich husband, so that she may subsidise Papa in his tottering old age.
1976 J. Lukasiewicz Railway Game 271 That CN uses 60-year-old equipment..on a service heavily subsidized by public funds..is a shocking breach of its obligations to provide a decent standard of service.
1991 Economist 5 Oct. 34/1 The agreement forces big, efficient retailers to subsidise small, inefficient ones.
2008 D. J. Downs Offering of Gentiles ii. 47 He expected the Corinthians to subsidize his travels, first to Macedonia and then to Jerusalem.
c. transitive. To provide funding for (a subversive scheme or course of action).
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > payment > pay money or things [verb (transitive)] > supply money for something
moneya1697
subsidize1852
refinance1895
fund1900
1852 Hansard Commons 21 May 906 They subsidised rebellion against the constitution.
1858 J. A. Froude Hist. Eng. (ed. 2) III. xvi. 431 Like so many of the northern abbots, he might have been hoarding a fund to subsidize insurrection.
1927 H. H. Fisher Famine in Soviet Russia viii. 195 Trotzky..accused the ARA of giving relief with one hand and subsidizing counter-revolution under Baron Wrangel with the other.
1984 F. L. Klement Dark Lanterns vii. 200 After the peace efforts failed, Jacob Thompson became interested in subsidizing an insurrection in the upper Midwest.
2010 R. Solomon Son & Heir 399 ‘You mean they are subsidising this rebellion?’ Julia questioned.
Derivatives
ˈsubsidized adj.
ΚΠ
1785 App. Commerc. Resol. Irish Parl. Vindicated 10 However those subsidised powers may have been blamed for submitting to such terms, Great Britain has been often served but never dishonoured by becoming thus tributary to many a petty Prince.
1872 Daily News 25 Mar. Every country has its subsidized lines of steamers, which carry mails to all parts of the world.
1908 Athenæum 31 Oct. 545/3 It was about to cease as a subsidized publication of the French Government.
1969 C. Jencks & D. Riesman Acad. Revol. iv. 167 The less affluent students are also more likely to attend publicly subsidized institutions that discourage non-locals from applying.
2000 N.Y. Times 1 Jan. d3/5 He worked two and three jobs at a time..to pay the rent for his subsidized apartment in Bradenton.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
v.1753