Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Subsidy for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is subsidy. It's a noun, and it lives in the world of money, support, and government help.
Narrator: You say it SUB-si-dee, with the stress on the first syllable. In phonetic notation, that's /ˈsʌbsɪdi/.
Narrator: A subsidy is a sum of money given, usually by a government, to help keep a price low or to support an industry.
Narrator: The word comes from the Latin subsidium, meaning aid or support, originally the reserve troops who came to the rescue.
Narrator: Over time it shifted from military aid to financial aid, the money that props something up so it can survive or stay affordable.
Narrator: Today subsidies support farmers, public transport, energy bills, and much more, easing costs for people and businesses.
Narrator: In tone, subsidy is formal and economic. So remember: a subsidy is a helping hand made of money.
Speaker A: The government brought in a subsidy to keep energy bills down this winter.
Speaker B: About time. A subsidy like that really helps families on a tight budget.
Speaker A: Exactly. And farmers receive a subsidy to keep food prices stable.
Speaker B: Right. One thing, don't confuse a subsidy with a grant. A grant is often one-off for a project, a subsidy props up an ongoing cost.
Speaker A: Good point. A subsidy keeps something affordable over time.
Speaker B: Exactly. And don't mix subsidy with subsidiary, that's a company owned by a bigger one. Different word entirely.
Speaker A: True. A close idea is support, but subsidy is specifically financial.
Speaker B: Yes. So the bus service runs on a council subsidy.
Speaker A: Perfect. Without the subsidy, the fares would double.
Speaker B: Lovely. One word, money given to keep a cost down.
Speaker B: Today we'll use the word subsidy to write AI prompts about discounts, financial support, and cost-reduction features in apps.
Speaker B: Picture a billing app. Here's a clean prompt.
Prompt: Build a pricing page in React that shows a subsidy for eligible users: a clear reduced price, the original price crossed out, and a small note explaining the subsidy and who qualifies.
Speaker B: It works because subsidy tells the AI to show a supported, lower price with a clear reason, not just a random discount.
Speaker A: Nice. Could subsidy shape a database too?
Speaker B: Absolutely. Try this.
Prompt: Create a SQL table named subsidies with id, user_id, amount, reason, and valid_until. Index user_id so we can quickly find every active subsidy applied to a customer's bill.
Speaker B: Here subsidy names the table clearly, keeping the financial support records tidy and easy to query.
Speaker A: Clear. What about a dashboard?
Speaker B: Use the support sense.
Prompt: Design an admin dashboard that totals all subsidies paid this month by category, with a chart comparing subsidy spending against budget, so managers see exactly where support is going.
Speaker B: Saying subsidies tells the AI to track and report financial support clearly against a budget.
Speaker A: Love that. Can we build a small app?
Speaker B: Minimal but precise.
Prompt: Create a simple childcare subsidy app where parents apply, upload proof of income, and the app calculates their subsidy automatically, then shows the supported weekly price.
Speaker B: One word, subsidy, grounds the whole support tool, so the prompt stays memorable.
Speaker A: And for a checkout?
Speaker B: Same support idea.
Prompt: Add a subsidy step at checkout that checks if the user qualifies for a discount, applies the subsidy automatically, and shows the saving clearly before they pay.
Speaker B: The subsidy step quietly applies support so eligible users always get the lower price.
Speaker A: Brilliant. One last quick prompt for a report?
Speaker B: Here you go.
Prompt: Build a yearly report that lists every subsidy granted, who received it, and the total cost, exported as a clean PDF for the finance and audit teams.
Speaker B: So the rule is simple: use subsidy for financial support that lowers a cost, and the intent reads clearly at once.
Speaker A: Got it. Subsidy equals money that lowers a cost. Easy to recall and easy to type.
Subsidy — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary