cross-subsidise

English

Etymology

From cross- +‎ subsidise.

Verb

cross-subsidise (third-person singular simple present cross-subsidises, present participle cross-subsidising, simple past and past participle cross-subsidised)

1. (British spelling) To subsidise a loss-making business or activity from the profits gained from another business or activity.
   • 1964 January, “News and Comment: The main Scottish closures tabled”, in Modern Railways, page 4:

     Even better known is the fact that B.E.A. services to sparsely populated areas and islands in the far north and west lose some £500,000 a year, which is cross-subsidised from other B.E.A. services. [...] The total extent of subsidising and cross-subsidising public transport in large areas of Scotland is, he believes, over £17 million a year, or £14 a head of the population in the regions concerned.

Alternative forms

• cross-subsidize

Related terms

• cross-subsidy

References

• “cross-subsidise”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.