applicant

American  

[ap-li-kuhnt] / ˈæp lɪ kənt /

noun

• applicants
  plural

1. a person who applies for or requests something; a candidate.

   an applicant for a position.

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applicant British  

/ ˈæplɪkənt /

noun

1. a person who applies, as for a job, grant, support, etc; candidate

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• applicants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of applicant

First recorded in 1475–85, applicant is from the Latin word applicant- (stem of applicāns applying, present participle of applicāre ). See apply, -ant

Explanation

An applicant is someone who signs up or applies for something. A job applicant for example, often fills out a form and then interviews for the position she hopes to get. When you submit your college application to a school you'd like to attend, you are an applicant to that school. Other kinds of applicants are job candidates and scholarship hopefuls. To apply is to put in for or request entry to something, and the root of both apply and applicant is the Old French aploiier, "apply, use, or attach," from the Latin applicare, "attach to, join, or connect."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

applicant applicants

Having lived in Japan for a decade, permanent residency applicant Chono said he saw both sides of the debate but that the country needed young people "to support its future".

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

It also would broaden public insight into how lease agreements with the port affect the local workforce by requiring any leaseholder extending a lease or lease applicant to disclose overview on its employment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

"The information which was considered was also materially disadvantageous to the applicant."

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Officials had seen an increase in “poison pen” messages, or anonymous accusations that an applicant misrepresented themselves, Pallie said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

That “heroic theory of invention,” as it is termed, is encouraged by patent law, because an applicant for a patent must prove the novelty of the invention submitted.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The spouses and children of applicants can also secure citizenship, in exchange for a contribution of $100,000 to the Treasury, or $25,000 if they are under 18 years of age.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

It cited a 2023 diversity open house, where it alleged staff told applicants they could reveal their race in answers to essay questions or in a diversity statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

From April next year, permanent residency applicants will face even tighter requirements, including basic Japanese language proficiency.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Since the start of the president’s second term, about 20 applications and two solar authorizations have been closed, the bureau said, adding that some of those were withdrawn by the applicants while others were rejected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

But one of the applicants was the son of someone in one of the Munich orchestras, so, for the sake of fairness, the Philharmonic decided to make the first round of auditions blind.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• aspirant
• candidate
• claimant
• seeker