application
n. C / Un. a formal request for something, like a job or a place at a university. It can also mean a computer program or 'app' that you use on your phone or laptop.
n. a formal request to an authority for something, such as a position or permission; also, a software program designed for a specific task. Both senses are common in general and technical registers.
I sent my job application yesterday.
The university received over five thousand applications for the new medical program this semester.
The developer released a mobile application that streamlines the loan application process for small business owners, reducing the required paperwork by half.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *pel- Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ-der. Latin plicō Latin applicō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin applicātiōbor. Old French aplicacionbor. Middle English applicacioun English application From Late Middle English applicacioun, borrowed from Old French aplicacion (French application), from Latin applicātiōnem, accusative singular of applicātiō (“attachment; application, inclination”), from applicō (“join to, attach; apply”). Equivalent to apply + -ication.
Countable when referring to a request or a software program; uncountable when referring to the act of putting something into operation or the effort applied to a task.