Subsidiære

Subsidiäre is an inflected form of the German adjective subsid.iär, meaning subsidiarity or secondary, used especially as a modifier before a feminine noun. In everyday and legal language it describes something that serves as a secondary, fallback, or supplementary relation rather than the primary one. The word is common in contexts such as law, administration, and governance.

Etymology and usage notes: subsidiare derives from Latin subsidium, meaning support or aid, and entered German through legal and administrative vocabulary. As an attributive adjective in German, subsidiäre agrees with the noun it modifies in gender, case, and number, for example subsidiäre Haftung (subsidiary liability) or subsidiäre Ansprüche (subsidiary claims).

Legal usage: In civil and corporate law, subsidiäre Haftung refers to liability that is triggered only if the main liable party cannot meet obligations. This concept appears in contexts such as parent company liability for subsidiary debts, guarantees, or in certain guarantee arrangements where the secondary party bears responsibility only after the primary party defaults. Subsidiäre Ansprüche can denote secondary claims raised after primary rights are pursued or exhausted.

Political and administrative usage: The related noun Subsidiarität denotes the principle of subsidiarity, which holds that matters ought to be handled at the lowest level capable of effective action. In German debates and EU governance, subsidiäre Maßnahmen describe decisions taken at local or regional levels rather than centralized authority when appropriate.

Linguistic note: The form subsidiäre is commonly used before feminine nouns (e.g., Haftung, Aufgabe) and reflects German adjective declension. The term is also encountered in insurance, contract law, and policy discussions where secondary or backup responsibility or action is described.