WordValesubsidiarity
handling matters at the most local level possible
In more detail
1. (noun) the principle that decisions should be made at the lowest level of government or organization that is practical, rather than by a central authority
2. (noun) in the Christian church, the belief that a higher authority should only act when a lower authority cannot handle a matter
Examples
- 1. The European Union operates on subsidiarity, allowing member states to handle many decisions themselves.
- 2. The principle of subsidiarity means the local parish handles its own affairs unless the diocese needs to intervene.
How to use subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is a formal principle used in political science, governance, and ecclesiastical contexts to describe the preference for decision-making at the most local or immediate level possible. It emphasizes that higher authorities should intervene only when lower levels cannot effectively address an issue. The term is particularly prominent in discussions of EU governance and Catholic social doctrine.
Common phrases
- principle of subsidiarity
- subsidiarity principle
- subsidiarity in action
- subsidiarity requires
- EU subsidiarity
- subsidiarity clause
Synonyms
decentralization · local autonomy · devolution · delegation
Opposites
centralization · centrism
Word family
subsidiary (adjective/noun)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse subsidiarity with subsidy or subsidiary, or mistakenly treat it as referring to secondary importance rather than to the structural distribution of authority.
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