applied
Americanadjective
-
having a practical purpose or use; derived from or involved with actual phenomena (distinguished from theoretical,opposed to pure).
applied mathematics; applied science.
-
of or relating to those arts or crafts that have a primarily utilitarian function, or to the designs and decorations used in these arts.
Her goal was to integrate aesthetics into everyday life through an applied art, particularly with her hand-painted dinner plates.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of applied
Explanation
Something applied is practical, having to do with real-world situations and problems. Applied physics puts physics into use. If you have a mysterious lump, thank applied physics for the MRI the doctor uses to look inside your body. To apply is to make use of something, like applying a coat of paint. The past participle, applied describes things related to solving concrete problems, rather than dealing with ideas, principles, or philosophy. Applied chemistry, applied physics, and the applied sciences as a whole have to do with real-world issues. The opposite of applied is theoretical, which is only concerned with ideas.
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.
And all appropriate state and local taxes are applied to the house and mortgage-related expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
As he explained, “Death sentences are unevenly and unfairly applied to people of color, people with mental disabilities, and people who cannot afford costly legal representation.”
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
Have you applied to jobs when you didn’t know the salary?
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
When Gianna Jordano first applied to film schools, she said she knew the industry was in a bit of a “slump stage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
He took the sponge, dipped it in, and moistened the corpse-like face; he asked for my smelling-bottle, and applied it to the nostrils.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
