applicant

American  

[ap-li-kuhnt] / ˈæp lɪ kənt /

noun

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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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

Embassy in Bujumbura, Burundi, she watched anxiously as applicant after applicant left dejected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Those pictures require patience, time, and pain to conjure on the part of the applicant.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Previously, a housing applicant needed to have a connection to the local authority – such as living in the council area for six months or more.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

By far the biggest factor in admission, however, is whether an applicant has matriculated from another magnet school and how long an applicant has been on the waiting list for a magnet school.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

“It makes perfect sense. The threat of gleaning will ensure that the best applicant comes out on top.”

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• aspirant
• candidate
• claimant
• seeker