English Reference

Word

applicability

Phoneticsap·pli·ca·bil·i·ty

US/ˌæpɫəkəˈbɪɫəti/

UK/ɐplˌɪkəbˈɪlɪti/

Definition

n. the quality of being suitable or useful for a specific purpose. You use this to describe how well a rule, law, or idea fits a particular situation.

n. the quality of being suitable or applicable to a particular situation or purpose. Often used in legal or technical contexts to describe the scope of a rule.

Examples

“The new law has limited applicability to small businesses.”

“The researchers discussed the applicability of their findings to real-world medical settings.”

“While the theory works well in controlled environments, its applicability to complex, real-world systems remains a subject of intense debate among the scientific community.”

Examples

simple

“The new law has limited applicability to small businesses.”

contextual

“The researchers discussed the applicability of their findings to real-world medical settings.”

complex

“While the theory works well in controlled environments, its applicability to complex, real-world systems remains a subject of intense debate among the scientific community.”

Real-World Examples

“To evaluate industrial applicability, the engineered strain was further tested in fed-batch fermentation using radish hydrolyzate as the sole feedstock.”
Phys.org · 17 Aug 2026
“Effects were selective to low-trust men; underlying mechanisms and applicability to women remain unknown.”
Phys.org · 12 Aug 2026

Word family

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference