What does "application" mean?
The act of physically applying or laying on.
Application
/ˌæp.lᵻˈkeɪ.ʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of physically applying or laying on.
- Grammar: application is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: app, program, software, absorbed attention.
- Useful contrasts: religious concept, disuse, disuses.
- Usage evidence: It is important that you attach your photo to the application form.
How to use "application"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "application" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "application" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "application" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "application" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "application" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "app" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "application", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of physically applying or laying on. countable, uncountable
"The application of this cream should reduce the swelling."
- 2 the action of putting something into operation wordnet
- 3 The substance applied. countable, uncountable
"His body was stripped, laid out upon a table, and covered with a hearsecloth, when some of his attendants perceived symptoms of returning animation, and by the use of warm applications, internal and external, gradually restored him to life."
- 4 a diligent effort wordnet
- 5 The act of applying as a means; the employment of means to accomplish an end; specific use. countable, uncountable
"All that I have hitherto contended for, is, that whatsoever rigor is necessary, it is more to be us'd, the younger children are; and having by a due application wrought its effect, it is to be relax'd, and chang'd into a milder sort of government."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 the work of applying something wordnet
- 7 The act of directing or referring something to a particular case, to discover or illustrate agreement or disagreement, fitness, or correspondence. countable, uncountable
"I make the remark, and leave you to make the application."
- 8 the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose wordnet
- 9 A computer program or the set of software that the end user perceives as a single entity as a tool for a well-defined purpose. (Also called: application program; application software.) countable, uncountable
"This application can connect to most social networks."
- 10 liquid preparation having a soothing or antiseptic or medicinal action when applied to the skin wordnet
- 11 A verbal or written request for assistance or employment or admission to a school, course or similar. countable, uncountable
"December 31 is the deadline for MBA applications."
- 12 a verbal or written request for assistance or employment or admission to a school wordnet
- 13 A petition, entreaty, or other request, with the adposition for denoting the subject matter. countable, uncountable
"Their application for a deferral of the hearing was granted."
- 14 a program that gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a task wordnet
- 15 The act of requesting, claiming, or petitioning something. countable, uncountable
- 16 Diligence; close thought or attention. countable, uncountable
- 17 A kind of needlework; appliqué. countable, uncountable
- 18 The substitution of a specific value for the parameter in the abstraction, in lambda calculus. countable, uncountable
- 19 Compliance. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It is important that you attach your photo to the application form."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "application"?
Common synonyms include: app, program, software, absorbed attention, absorption, accounting for.
How do you use "application" in a sentence?
It is important that you attach your photo to the application form.
How do you pronounce "application"?
Pronounced /ˌæp.lᵻˈkeɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English applicacioun, borrowed from Old French aplicacion (French application), from Latin applicātiōnem, accusative singular of applicātiō (“attachment; application, inclination”), from applicō (“join to, attach; apply”). Equivalent to apply + -ication.