application

application — noun

1. a formal letter or form sent to a company, school, or government office in which

1.nounB1
Definition

a formal letter or form sent to a company, school, or government office in which someone asks to receive a job, a study place, money, or the right to do something specific.

Example

Theo sent an application for the marketing job at three different companies.

application for + [job/role]

The university received over 5,000 applications from students this year.

plural countable use with a number

Common collocations
  • job application
  • loan application
  • visa application
  • submit an application
  • fill in an application
Synonyms
  • request

    more general; an application is a specific, formal type of request

  • petition

    usually signed by many people asking authorities for something

  • submission

    emphasises the act of sending the documents in

Grammar Patterns

application for [something]

application to [do something]

make/submit an application

Usage Note

Often paired with the verbs 'make', 'submit', 'send', or 'fill in', and with the prepositions 'for' (the thing wanted) and 'to' (the body receiving it). Compound forms like 'job application' or 'visa application' are very common.

Common Mistakes

I made an application of the new job.
I made an application for the new job.
use 'for' with the thing you are applying to get.
She wrote a application to the bank.
She wrote an application to the bank.
use 'an' before a vowel sound.

2. software, often shortened in speech to 'app', that you install on a phone or com

2.nounB2
Definition

software, often shortened in speech to 'app', that you install on a phone or computer so it can do one kind of task such as editing photos, sending messages, or paying bills.

Example

Noa downloaded a new banking application onto her phone.

common verb: download an application

Most office workers use a spreadsheet application every day.

[type] + application

Common collocations
  • mobile application
  • desktop application
  • download an application
  • run an application
  • close an application
Synonyms
  • app

    everyday short form, especially for mobile

  • program

    more general; covers all software, not just task-focused tools

  • software

    uncountable; the broader category

Grammar Patterns

application for [device/purpose]

open/run/install an application

Usage Note

In everyday spoken English, the short form 'app' is far more common, especially for phones. 'Application' is preferred in business and technical writing, and for desktop programs (e.g. 'desktop application').

Common Mistakes

I installed the application in my phone.
I installed the application on my phone.
use 'on' for devices.

3. the way an idea, method, or piece of knowledge is used to solve real problems or

3.nounC1
Definition

the way an idea, method, or piece of knowledge is used to solve real problems or make real things happen, rather than only being talked about in theory.

Example

Dr. Rohan studies the application of laser technology to eye surgery.

application of X to Y

This new material has many applications in the building industry.

have applications in [field]

Common collocations
  • practical application
  • real-world application
  • wide application
  • have applications in [field]
Synonyms
  • use

    more everyday; 'application' sounds more technical

  • implementation

    stresses the act of putting a plan into practice

  • function

    what something does, narrower than 'application'

Antonyms
  • theory

    ideas without real-world use

Grammar Patterns

application of [something] (to [something])

have an application in [field]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 7 (the moment of putting something into operation). This sense names the kind of use itself — areas, fields, or problems where the thing is useful — and is often plural ('applications').

Common Mistakes

AI has many application in medicine.
AI has many applications in medicine.
use plural after 'many'.

4. the act of putting paint, cream, glue, or another substance onto a surface, or a

4.nounC1
Definition

the act of putting paint, cream, glue, or another substance onto a surface, or a thin layer of that substance once it has been put there.

Example

The wooden door needs two applications of paint to look smooth.

two/several applications of [substance]

The nurse showed Aunt Rosa the correct application of the burn cream.

application of + [medical product]

Common collocations
  • application of paint
  • application of cream
  • application of glue
  • first/second application
Synonyms
  • coating

    the layer left after applying; less common as a process word

  • layer

    the result, not the action

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

application of [substance] (to [surface])

Usage Note

Often appears in instructions on packages, in medical advice, or in DIY guides. The substance is usually liquid, soft, or sticky — paint, cream, glue, polish, oil — and the surface is usually skin, wood, metal, or fabric.

5. the steady, focused effort that someone gives to studying or working on a task o

5.nounC2
Definition

the steady, focused effort that someone gives to studying or working on a task over a long time so that they can do it well or finish it.

Example

With patient application, Noa mastered the violin in three years.

with + application

The teacher praised the boy's quiet application to his math homework.

application to [task]

Common collocations
  • with patient application
  • lack application
  • show great application
Synonyms
  • diligence

    very close in meaning, slightly more formal

  • dedication

    stresses loyalty to the task, not just hard work

  • perseverance

    stresses not giving up despite difficulty

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

with application

show/lack application

Usage Note

Sounds quite formal and is more common in writing or in school reports than in casual speech. Often paired with adjectives like 'patient', 'quiet', 'steady', 'careful', and used after 'with' or 'lack'.

6. the act of putting a rule, law, or principle into operation and enforcing it, so

6.nounC2
Definition

the act of putting a rule, law, or principle into operation and enforcing it, so that those covered by it must obey.

Example

The fair application of the new tax law took several months to prepare.

application of [law]

Officials are studying the application of the safety rules at small factories.

application of [rules]

Common collocations
  • strict application
  • fair application
  • uniform application
  • application of the law
Synonyms
  • enforcement

    stresses making people obey, often by police or officials

  • implementation

    the whole process of putting a plan into action

Antonyms
  • suspension

    stopping a rule from being used for a time

Grammar Patterns

application of [a rule/law/principle]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3 (areas where something is useful) — this sense focuses on the moment of switching a rule on and enforcing it. Common in legal, political, and policy writing; rare in everyday speech.

7. the question of which people, cases, or situations a rule, idea, or piece of adv

7.nounC2
Definition

the question of which people, cases, or situations a rule, idea, or piece of advice covers and is meant for.

Example

The old fishing rule has no application to modern boats with engines.

have no application to [X]

This warning has special application to drivers in heavy snow.

have special application to [group]

Common collocations
  • have no application
  • wide application
  • special application
  • limited application
Synonyms
  • relevance

    everyday word for the same idea

  • bearing

    formal; often 'have a bearing on'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

have (no/some/wide) application to [something]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 6: sense 6 is the act of switching a rule on; this sense answers 'who or what does this rule actually concern?'. Often follows 'have' plus an adjective like 'no', 'some', 'wide', 'special', or 'limited', and takes 'to'.

Common Mistakes

The rule has no application for my case.
The rule has no application to my case.
use 'to' with this sense, not 'for'.

Word family

  • apply
    verbB1
  • applicant
    nounB2
  • applicable
    adjectiveC1
  • applied
    adjectiveB2
  • app
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe asking for something, but they fit different situations. 'Request' is the most general and everyday word — you can request a song at a concert or request more time on an email. 'Application' is more formal and almost always involves filling in a specific form or letter sent to a company, school, or government office for a job, place, loan, or permission. 'Petition' usually means a written demand, often signed by many people, asking authorities to change something — a neighbourhood petition for a new park, for example. 'Submission' focuses on the act of handing something in, often a piece of work or evidence: 'late submissions will not be marked' or 'a submission to the court'. So Theo makes a job application (formal, on a form), her friend signs a petition (group demand), and a student misses the deadline for an essay submission (handing in work).

applicationrequestpetitionsubmission

Common collocations

Nouns

  • form
  • process
  • deadline
  • fee
  • letter

Adverbs

  • successfully
  • strictly
  • widely
  • directly
  • patiently

Phrases

  • application form
  • application process
  • application deadline
  • letter of application
  • online application

Prepositions

  • for
  • to
  • of
  • in
  • from

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the Latin verb 'applicare', meaning 'to fold, fasten, or join one thing to another'. This entered English through Old French in the late 1300s, first carrying the idea of attaching or putting one thing onto another (sense 4 today). The meaning then widened: the action of putting something to use, the formal request for a job or place, the steady effort given to a task, and finally, in the late 1900s, the modern computing meaning — a piece of software 'applied' to a particular task on a phone or computer.