apply

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English

Etymology 1

From Middle English aplien, applien, from Old French applier, (French appliquer), from Latin applicō (“join, fix, or attach to”); from ad + plicō (“fold, twist together”). See applicant, ply.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /əˈplaɪ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪ
  • Hyphenation: ap‧ply

Verb

apply (third-person singular simple present applies, present participle applying, simple past and past participle applied)

  1. (transitive) To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)
    to apply cream to a rash
    • 1697, John Dryden, Translation of Virgil's Aeneid:
      He said, and to the sword his throat applied.
  2. (transitive) To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case
    Synonyms: appropriate, devote, use
    to apply funds to the repayment of a debt
  3. (transitive) To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relative
    We need to apply the skills we’ve learned to solve this problem.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
      Yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied.
  4. (transitive) To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently, or with attention
    Synonyms: attach, incline
  5. (reflexive) To work diligently and attentively.
  6. (transitive) To address; to refer; generally used reflexively.
  7. (intransitive) To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).
    I recently applied to the tavern for a job as a bartender.
    Most of the colleges she applied to were ones she thought she had a good chance of getting into.
    Many of them don't know it, but almost a third of the inmates are eligible to apply for parole or work-release programs.
    • 1974 August 7, Ronald A. Frank, “SP Seeks Approval for Coast-to-Coast Digital Net”, in Computerworld, page 15:
      Southern Pacific Communications Co. (SP) has applied to the FCC for approval of the first coast-to-coast digital data transmission service.
  8. (intransitive) To pertain or be relevant to a specified individual or group.
    That rule only applies to foreigners.
  9. (obsolete) To busy; to keep at work; to ply.
  10. (obsolete) To visit.
Derived terms
Descendants
  • → Cebuano: aplay
Translations

Etymology 2

apple +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

Adjective

apply (comparative more apply, superlative most apply)

  1. Alternative spelling of appley

References

Anagrams

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