apply

verb

(transitive) To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case

(transitive) To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)

(transitive) To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relevant.

(intransitive) To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" or "at" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).

(intransitive) To pertain or be relevant.

(transitive) To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently or with attention.

(reflexive) To work diligently and attentively.

(transitive, usually reflexive) To address oneself; to refer.

(obsolete) To busy; to keep at work; to ply.

(obsolete) To visit.

adjective

Alternative spelling of appley. [Resembling apples, apple-like.]

Roots

plico-ply · Latin · fold

Synonyms for apply

usen utilizev employv enforcev givev referv attachv

Synonyms & related words for apply

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of apply — including use, utilize, employ, enforce, give, refer. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to apply

Explore words related to apply — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include preapply, reapply, applicatory, adhibit, applicable, reapplication, applicably, nonapplicable. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for apply

Common synonyms for apply include use, utilize, employ, enforce, give, refer, attach — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does apply come from?

The word apply breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -ply, from Latin plico (“fold”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.