apply

American  

[uh-plahy] / əˈplaɪ /

verb (used with object)

• applies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• applied,
  past participle,  past
• applying
  present participle

1. to make use of as relevant, suitable, or pertinent.

   to apply a theory to a problem.

2. to put to use, especially for a particular purpose.

   to apply pressure to open a door.

3. to bring into action; use; employ.

   He applied the brakes and skidded to a stop.

   Synonyms:

   utilize

4. to use a label or other designation.

   Don't apply any such term to me.

5. to use for or assign to a specific purpose.

   He applied a portion of his salary each week to savings.

   Synonyms:

   dedicate, assign, allot, appropriate

6. to put into effect.

   They applied the rules to new members only.

7. to devote or employ diligently or with close attention.

   to apply one's mind to a problem;

   to apply oneself to a task.

8. to place in contact with; lay or spread on.

   to apply paint to a wall;

   to apply a bandage to a wound.

9. to bring into physical contact with or close proximity to.

   to apply a match to gunpowder.

10. to credit to, as an account.

    to apply $10 to his account at the store.

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verb (used without object)

• applies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• applied,
  past participle,  past
• applying
  present participle

1. to be pertinent, suitable, or relevant.

   The argument applies to the case.

   The theory doesn't apply.

2. to make an application or request; ask.

   to apply for a job;

   to apply for a raise.

   Synonyms:

   entreat, sue, petition

3. to lay or spread on.

   The plastic coating is easy to apply on any surface.

4. to be placed or remain in contact.

   This paint doesn't apply very easily.

apply British  

/ əˈplaɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to put to practical use; utilize; employ

2. (intr) to be relevant, useful, or appropriate

3. (tr) to cause to come into contact with; put onto

4. to put in an application or request

5. to devote (oneself, one's efforts) with diligence

6. (tr) to bring into operation or use

   the police only applied the law to aliens

7. (tr) to refer (a word, epithet, etc) to a person or thing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• appliableness
  noun
• applier
  noun
• reapply
  verb
• preapply
  verb (used with object)
• appliable
  adjective
• unappliable
  adjective
• appliably
  adverb
• unappliably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• applying
  present
• applied
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• apply
  simple
• applies
  simple
• have applied
  perfect
• has applied
  perfect
• am applying
  progressive
• are applying
  progressive
• is applying
  progressive
• have been applying
  perfect progressive
• has been applying
  perfect progressive

Past

• applied
  simple
• had applied
  perfect
• was applying
  progressive
• were applying
  progressive
• had been applying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will apply
  simple
• will have applied
  perfect
• will be applying
  progressive
• will have been applying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of apply

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ap(p)lien, from Anglo-French, Old French ap(p)lier, from Latin applicāre, equivalent to ap- ap- ¹ ( def. ) + plicāre “to fold”; see ply ² ( def. )

Explanation

Apply means to put on a surface, like to apply makeup to your face before work. Apply also means to ask in a formal way. Long before you applied the makeup, you had to apply for the job. You can apply the word apply to many situations, including when you make use of something — like when you apply the brakes on a car. Apply also means to really put effort into a task, like to apply yourself to learning Greek or reaching the next level on your favorite video game. But then again, maybe those examples don’t apply.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apply applies applied applying

Some other measures will apply to 16 and 17-year-olds, such as curfews and restrictions during certain hours of the day.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

While U.S. officials are generally not permitted to own stakes in government contractors without a waiver, the law doesn’t apply to their adult children.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Students will spend four years learning to build the technology and to apply it to fields as far apart as drug discovery, robotics and agriculture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The settlement doesn’t directly apply to YouTube, TikTok, or any other platform, but it does give litigants a blueprint for how to pressure those platforms using a similar playbook.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

Japanese musical aesthetics are difficult to apply in the classroom.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

This applies only to the A.I.-generated search results summary and not to chatbots, which are inclined to give users the answers they want.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

The review, external of the most recent and best quality evidence to date applies to regulated vapes that are checked for quality and compliant with strict safety laws.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

That program also applies to post-production, but only if 75% of filming or the overall budget is spent in the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

If she applies through the ACA Marketplace and her income appears low enough for Medicaid rather than Marketplace subsidies, the application should likely be referred to the relevant state program.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

“Never lose sight of the fact that our special responsibility as landscape artists applies primarily to the broad, comprehensive scenery of the Exposition,” Olmsted wrote.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

The north Atlantic island applied to join the bloc in 2009, a year after the 2008 financial crisis led to the collapse of its banks and economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

The name change, which applied to federal publications and communications, generally isn’t recognized by other countries, including Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

In recent months, he applied for release on medical grounds, but was unsuccessful.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

“Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Bobby, Bisguier, and about twenty other players and spectators stood around the tournament director’s desk as he applied the tie-breaking system to determine the winner.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Asia Mason, 22, from London, says she spent more than two years applying for jobs before she finally secured her first role in the NHS.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Deng conducted an experiment in China applying image recognition to strawberry pollination, work he said could theoretically cut the labor the crop demands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The prospect that the government can “take your house” if you are on Medicaid scares some people away from applying for benefits in the first place.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Teens are hedging their bets by applying to more schools.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Brunelleschi would have had plenty of practice in applying this knowledge when he set out to measure the height of surviving classical buildings in Rome in 1402-4.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• administer
• employ
• exercise
• handle
• implement
• practice