apply

Q: What does "apply" mean?

1. (to request a job or place) to make a formal request for a job, a place at a university, or a visa. 2. (to be relevant or use a rule) to concern a person or a situation, or to use a rule in a specific case. 3. (to put on a surface) to spread something like paint, cream, or medicine onto a surface. 4. (to work hard) to work very hard and focus on a task.

Q: Is it correct to say "I applied a job at the bank."?

No — say "I applied for a job at the bank.". When you want to get a job, you must use the preposition 'for' after apply.

Word

01to request a job or place

A2 · Elementary

v. to make a formal request for a job, a place at a university, or a visa.

v. to submit a formal application for a position, privilege, or legal status. Intransitive; typically takes the preposition 'for' for the object and 'to' for the recipient.

“She decided to apply for a new job at the hospital in the city.”

“After completing her master's degree, she applied to several international NGOs for a position in environmental policy.”

Usage

Takes 'for' before the thing you want and 'to' before the person or organization you are asking.

Pitfall

I applied a job at the bank.

I applied for a job at the bank.

When you want to get a job, you must use the preposition 'for' after apply.

Synonyms

request seek petition

Antonyms

withdraw

02to be relevant or use a rule

B1 · Intermediate

v. to concern a person or a situation, or to use a rule in a specific case.

v. to be relevant or applicable to a particular person or situation; to implement a rule, law, or principle.

“These rules apply to everyone in the building, including visitors.”

“The new safety regulations apply only to industrial sites constructed after the legislation was passed last year.”

Usage

When meaning 'to be relevant', it is intransitive and takes the preposition 'to'.

Synonyms

relate pertain implement

Antonyms

ignore exempt

03to put on a surface

B1 · Intermediate

v. to spread something like paint, cream, or medicine onto a surface.

v. to spread or exert a substance or force onto a surface. Transitive; takes a direct object.

“You should apply the cream to the burn twice a day.”

“The instructions recommend that you apply two thin coats of primer before using the final decorative paint.”

Synonyms

spreadput onadminister

Antonyms

removewipe off

04to work hard

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to work very hard and focus on a task.

v. to focus one's efforts steadily on a task. Reflexive; almost always used as 'apply oneself'.

“If he applies himself to his studies, he will pass the exam easily.”

“The coach noted that while the athlete had natural talent, she needed to apply herself more consistently during the off-season training sessions.”

Usage

Used reflexively with a pronoun (myself, yourself, himself) followed by 'to'.

Synonyms

concentrate dedicate

Antonyms

slackenidle

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “apply” in context.

01. apply approach 02. apply concept 03. apply knowledge 04. apply method 05. apply principle 06. apply technique 07. apply theory 08. apply to 09. broadly apply 10. consistently apply 11. directly apply 12. easily apply

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 Old French applierbor. Middle English aplien English apply 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.

From apple + -y.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

apply(A2)

NOUN

ADJECTIVE