apply

apply — verb

1. to put your name forward in writing — usually on a form — when you want a job, s

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to put your name forward in writing — usually on a form — when you want a job, school admission, money, or permission, so that the people in charge can decide whether to give it to you.

Example

Pia applied for a part-time job at the bookshop near her house.

apply for + [job]

Tomás applied to three universities in Canada and is waiting for replies.

apply to + [institution]

Common collocations
  • apply for a job
  • apply for a visa
  • apply for a loan
  • apply to a college
  • apply online
  • apply in writing
Synonyms
  • request

    more formal; usually a single specific thing rather than a long process

  • petition

    official and often legal; usually involves many signatures

  • put in for

    informal British phrasal verb with the same meaning

Antonyms
  • withdraw

    to take back an application you have already sent in

Grammar Patterns

apply for + [job/place/loan]

apply to + [institution]

apply to + do something

Usage Note

Almost always paired with 'for' (the thing wanted) or 'to' (the place or person deciding). The subject is normally a person or company; do not use this sense when describing rules — that is sense 2.

Common Mistakes

I applied the manager for the job.
I applied to the manager for the job.
use 'to' before the person or place receiving the request, and 'for' before the thing you want.
She applied getting a scholarship.
She applied for a scholarship.' / 'She applied to get a scholarship.
use a noun after 'for' or a to-infinitive, not an -ing form.

2. if a rule, law, comment, or condition applies, it covers a particular person, gr

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

if a rule, law, comment, or condition applies, it covers a particular person, group, or situation, so that person or situation must follow it or is affected by it.

Example

This safety rule applies to every worker on the factory floor.

rule applies to + [people]

The new tax does not apply to families earning under thirty thousand dollars.

negative: does not apply to

Common collocations
  • the same applies
  • rules apply
  • terms and conditions apply
  • apply equally to
  • no longer applies
Synonyms
  • be relevant

    more general; not limited to rules or laws

  • cover

    stronger sense of 'including within scope'; common with insurance and policies

  • concern

    focus on 'be about'; subject is often a topic, not a rule

Grammar Patterns

apply to + [person/situation]

the same applies to ...

Usage Note

Subject is typically a rule, law, principle, condition, or comment — not a person. Distinguish from sense 1: 'the law applies' (sense 2 — the law covers you) vs 'I applied' (sense 1 — I sent in a form).

Common Mistakes

This rule applies for new students.
This rule applies to new students.
with this sense, the preposition is always 'to', not 'for'.

3. to take an idea, skill, method, or piece of knowledge and put it to work in a re

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to take an idea, skill, method, or piece of knowledge and put it to work in a real situation so that it produces a result.

Example

Engineers applied the new safety method to every bridge in the city.

apply X to + [target]

Nia applied what she learned in cooking class to dinner that evening.

apply what you learn

Common collocations
  • apply pressure
  • apply a rule
  • apply a method
  • apply knowledge
  • apply force
  • apply a theory
Synonyms
  • use

    much more general and everyday; lacks the sense of 'matching tool to situation'

  • implement

    formal; often used for plans, policies, or systems being put into action

  • employ

    formal; suggests choosing a tool or method on purpose

Antonyms
  • ignore

    to fail to use knowledge or rules that could help

Grammar Patterns

apply [knowledge/method] to + [problem/task]

Usage Note

Object is usually abstract: a method, theory, rule, force, or piece of knowledge. The result is a practical outcome. Sense 4 is the physical version (cream, paint on a surface); use sense 4 when the object is a substance.

Common Mistakes

She applied her skills on the project.
She applied her skills to the project.
use 'to', not 'on', for the situation where the skill is used.

4. to put a thin layer of something soft or wet — like cream, paint, glue, or make-

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put a thin layer of something soft or wet — like cream, paint, glue, or make-up — onto a surface or part of the body.

Example

Apply the sunscreen to your arms and neck before going to the beach.

apply [substance] to + [body part]

Rosa applied two coats of green paint to the kitchen wall.

apply two coats of paint

Common collocations
  • apply sunscreen
  • apply paint
  • apply make-up
  • apply a bandage
  • apply a thin layer
  • apply twice daily
Synonyms
  • spread

    everyday word; suggests covering a wider area

  • rub in

    phrasal verb; suggests pressing the substance into the skin

  • put on

    informal; broader, not limited to thin layers

Antonyms
  • wipe off

    to remove a substance from a surface

Grammar Patterns

apply [substance] to + [surface/body part]

Usage Note

Object must be a substance you can spread (cream, paint, glue, make-up, ointment) — not an abstract idea. Common in instructions; often used in the imperative ('Apply twice a day').

Common Mistakes

Apply the cream in your face.
Apply the cream to your face.
use 'to' for the body part or surface receiving the substance.

5. to give a task or subject your full attention and energy over a period of time,

5.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to give a task or subject your full attention and energy over a period of time, with a reflexive pronoun (yourself, himself, etc.), so that you make real progress.

Example

If Nia applies herself to her maths, she can pass the exam in June.

apply oneself to + [subject]

Fadi finally applied herself to learning the violin and improved within a month.

apply oneself to + -ing

Common collocations
  • apply yourself to your studies
  • apply yourself fully
  • apply yourself in class
  • really apply yourself
Synonyms
  • concentrate on

    narrower in time; can be momentary as well as long-term

  • focus on

    everyday version; less about effort, more about attention

  • buckle down

    informal; emphasises starting to work seriously after slacking

Antonyms
  • slack off

    informal; to stop working hard on something

Grammar Patterns

apply oneself to + [task/study]

Usage Note

Almost always reflexive — 'apply yourself / himself / herself / themselves'. Subject is a person; the activity is something demanding (study, training, a difficult task). Often used by teachers and parents.

Common Mistakes

You should apply to your studies.
You should apply yourself to your studies.
this sense needs a reflexive pronoun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve asking an authority for something, but they differ in formality and procedure. 'Apply' is the standard word for filling out a form to get a job, a place at a school, or money — usually one applicant aiming at one decision-maker. 'Request' is broader and slightly more formal: you can request information, a day off, or a meeting, often by letter or email rather than a set form. 'Petition' is the most formal and legal-sounding; it is normally used when many people sign their names together to ask the government to change something. 'Register' simply means to put your name on an official list (for a class, an event, or a service) — it does not involve a yes/no decision the way 'apply' does. Compare: Pia applied for a scholarship (a form, a decision); the residents petitioned the council to save the park (a group request); she registered for the marathon (just signed up).

apply ↗request ↗petition ↗register ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • apply for a job
  • apply to a university
  • the same applies
  • terms and conditions apply
  • apply yourself

Prepositions

  • for (a job, a visa, permission)
  • to (a school, a person, a situation)
  • on (a surface)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

'Apply' came into Middle English in the late 1300s from the Old French 'aplier', which itself came from Latin 'applicare', meaning 'to fold together' or 'to attach to'. The Latin root combines 'ad-' (to, toward) with 'plicare' (to fold) — the same 'plicare' that gives us 'plait' and 'ply'. The original idea was of bringing one thing into close contact with another. Over centuries this physical sense of pressing something onto a surface (sense 4 in this entry) widened into the figurative senses of putting a method to work (sense 3), of sending in a written request (sense 1), and of giving something one's full attention (sense 5).