Applied

How to spell applied

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce applied

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does applied mean?

1. verbPast tense of 'apply': put something to use, brought into operation, or formally requested something.
2. adjectiveConcerned with practical use rather than pure theory.

Applied in a sentence

• verb

  She applied for the manager role and got an interview the next week.

• adjective

  She switched from pure mathematics to applied mathematics for her degree.

• verb

  The technician applied a thin layer of sealant around the window frame.

• adjective

  The lab focuses on applied research that industry can use straight away.

Where does applied come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the past form of 'apply', which came into English in the late 1300s through Old French 'aplier'. That French verb descended from the Latin 'applicare', built from 'ad' meaning 'to' or 'toward' and 'plicare' meaning 'to fold' or 'to fasten'. The literal image was of folding or attaching one thing onto another, so to apply something was originally to bring it into close contact, which is still felt when we apply paint, pressure, or a rule. The 'plicare' root is a busy ancestor: it also sits inside 'pliable', 'reply', and 'complicated'. The doubled 'p' is the spelling trap and it comes straight from the Latin prefix 'ad' assimilating into 'ap' before the 'p' of the stem, while the 'ie' ending simply reflects the regular '-y' to '-ied' change English makes in the past tense.

How the word is built

• ap- (from Latin ad-: to, toward)
• ply (from plicare: to fold, fasten)
• -ed (past tense / adjective suffix)