Learn English – difference between “subsidy” and “subvention”

differencesmeaningnouns

Is there a difference between subsidy and subvention? If yes, what is it? When should I use either?

Best Answer

My advice is to use subsidy every time, the same as nearly everyone else does...

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It's worth pointing out that the original sense of subvention was...

(OED) 1. An extraordinary tax levied by the state; the payment of this tax. Freq. in France, or in French contexts. Now hist.

...not that many people would be confused by that, since they probably wouldn't be familiar with the later meaning either.