applicant
Americannoun
-
applicants
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing applicant
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
A planning statement on behalf of the applicant said the scheme would bring a number of benefits by delivering "critical digital infrastructure" and "returning a nationally significant site to productive economic use".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
But the judge found that that decision "was based upon inaccurate information which was material to the key issue of the potential risks posed by 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
She drags her eyes away from a retreating bin and up to the next applicant.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Officials say applications will still be assessed individually and applicants will remain subject to immigration checks.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
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
From April next year, permanent residency applicants will face even tighter requirements, including basic Japanese language proficiency.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Then, the goal was to check if applicants were entitled to receive federal benefits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
He shouldn’t apply directly to the computing school; he should enroll as a liberal arts undergraduate, and take some of the courses necessary to compete academically with the other computing applicants, then transfer.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
