Application refers to the act of putting something to use or relevance to a specific purpose. It can also denote a formal request or form submitted for a job, study, or service. In linguistics, it often appears as a noun meaning the act of applying something, or as a software program designed to perform a particular task.
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"I submitted my application to the university last week."
"This new mobile application helps track fitness goals."
"The paint requires careful application for an even coat."
"Her quick application of the algorithm saved hours of work."
The word application derives from the Latin applicatio, from applicare meaning to join or attach. The Latin root applic- comes from ad- (toward) + plicare (to fold, weave, or fold in). The sense gradual shifted from “the act of attaching or applying something” to “the act of putting to use for a purpose” in late medieval Latin and early Romance languages. In English, application appeared in the 14th century with senses including ‘the act of applying a coating or substance’ and later extended to duties such as “a formal request” (to apply for something). By the 17th-18th centuries, “application” also denoted the practical use of theories and tools, and in modern times it is also a common term for software programs. The multifaceted definitions reflect both physical act (apply paint) and abstract processes (apply for a job) that share the core idea of directing effort toward a purpose.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "application" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "application" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "application"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as a-pli-CA-tion, with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌæp.lɪˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/ in US/UK; AU often /ˌæplɪˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/ or /ˌæplɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. Start with /æ/ (as in cat), move to /p/ with a quick puff, then /lɪ/ in a light, quick move, place stress on /ˈkeɪ/ before the /ʃn̩/ cluster. Practice slowing down: a-pli-CA-tion. You’ll hear the rhythm as four segments, with the nucleus around the /keɪ/ and a light final syllabic n.
Two frequent errors: 1) Moving the stress to the first syllable (AP-pli-cation), which sounds off in natural English; 2) Slurring the /keɪ/ into the following /ʃn̩/, or pronouncing /ʃn̩/ as /ʃən/; correct approach is a clear /ˈkeɪ/ followed by a light /ʃn̩/. Also avoid pronouncing /plɪ/ as /plɪl/ or inserting an extra syllable; keep /æl/ sound compact: /ˌæp.lɪˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/.
US/UK share the primary stress on the second or third syllable depending on variant: /ˌæp.lɪˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/. US tends to keep /æp/ crisp and the /keɪ/ clearly stressed; UK often exhibits slightly stronger vowel quality on /æ/ and a clearer /ʃn̩/ end. Australian tends to reduce vowel quantity, with a more centralized /ɪ/ in the second syllable and similar stress pattern. Overall rhoticity does not alter the syllable stress, but vowel quality and vowel length may differ subtly.
Because it combines a stressed, high-vowel peak in /ˈkeɪ/ with a fast, crowded postalveolar cluster /plɪˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/ and a connected fourth syllable. The /ˌæp/ onset requires a quick /æ/ followed by /p/, and the transition into /lɪ/ shortens the vowel. The final /ʃn̩/ is a tricky syllabic cluster, where the /ʃ/ blends into a nasal /n̩/. Practice slows and isolates these segments to smooth the transition.
A distinctive feature is the compact realization of the third syllable -/keɪ/ with a strong, clear nucleus, followed by a language-specific -tion ending with a syllabic /n̩/. Some speakers reduce subsequent vowels in casual speech, producing /ˌæplɪˈkeɪ.ʃn̩/ with less emphasis on the final vowel; others maintain a light /ən/ ending. The key is maintaining the /keɪ/ nucleus and the syllabic /n̩/.
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