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Application: Definition, Usage & Key Meanings (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：formal request (application)

application 🔊

/ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃn/

A formal request, often written, to ask for something like a job, a place at a university, or permission to do something.

Application form meaning illustrated by hands filling out a university application on a desk.

formal request 🔊

➕

/ˈfɔːrml rɪˈkwest/

A formal, often written, submission to request consideration for something such as a position, program, or permission.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'applicare' (to attach to, put to use).

💡 Mnemonic

APPly to get an APP. Connect the first two common meanings for easy recall.

📖 Example

She spent weeks preparing her application for the master's program at Oxford. 🔊 She dedicated several weeks to getting her formal request ready for the Oxford master's program.

🔗 Collocations

submit an application – to formally send in a request

job application – a request for employment

application form – a document used to make a formal request

🔄 Synonyms

petition (n.) – a formal written request, especially one signed by many people, appealing to authority

request (n.) – an act of asking politely or formally for something

proposal (n.) – a plan or suggestion, especially a formal one put forward for consideration

🚫 Antonyms

rejection (n.) – the dismissing or refusing of a proposal or application

dismissal (n.) – the act of ordering or allowing someone to leave; refusal to consider

🌱 Derivatives

applicant (n.) – a person who makes a formal application

apply (v.) – to make a formal request

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'applicare', via Old French. Its journey from physical 'applying' (e.g., ointment) to abstract 'applying' (effort, rules) and now to digital 'apps' mirrors technology's evolution, making it a quintessential word of the digital age.

Meaning 2：software program (application)

application 🔊

/ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃn/

A computer program or a piece of software on your phone or computer designed to do a particular job.

Software application meaning shown by a smartphone screen with various app icons.

software program 🔊

➕

/ˈsɒftweə ˈprəʊɡræm/

A piece of software designed to perform a specific function for the user, typically on a mobile device or computer.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

I downloaded a new language learning application that helps me remember vocabulary with games. 🔊 I installed a new software program for language learning that uses games to aid vocabulary retention.

🔗 Collocations

mobile application – a software program designed to run on smartphones or tablets

launch an application – to start or open a software program

application developer – a person who creates software programs

🔄 Synonyms

app (n.) – a short, common term for application, especially on mobile devices

program (n.) – a set of instructions that a computer follows to perform a task

software (n.) – the programs and other operating information used by a computer

🚫 Antonyms

hardware (n.) – the physical components of a computer system

operating system (n.) – the fundamental software that manages computer hardware and runs applications

🌱 Derivatives

applications (n. (pl.)) – multiple software programs

Meaning 3：act of applying (application)

application 🔊

/ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃn/

The act of putting something like cream, medicine, or paint onto a surface.

act of applying 🔊

➕

/ækt əv əˈplaɪɪŋ/

The action of putting something onto a surface, such as lotion, paint, or medicine.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

After sunbathing, the application of aloe vera gel soothed her skin. 🔊 Following sun exposure, the act of applying aloe vera gel provided relief to her skin.

🔗 Collocations

topical application – applying something directly to the skin or a body surface

even application – the act of spreading something uniformly over a surface

for external application only – a warning that a substance should only be applied to the skin, not taken internally

🔄 Synonyms

administration (n.) – the process of giving something, such as medicine, to someone

applying (n.) – the act of putting something into operation or onto a surface

🌱 Derivatives

apply (v.) – to put something onto a surface

applicator (n.) – a device used to apply a substance