Meaning & use
an applicant
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a person who formally asks for something, especially a job, a place at a school, or official permission.
Grammar: Countable: one applicant, several applicants. Often followed by 'for' to name what is wanted.
Patterns
- an applicant for something
- a job applicant
- applicants to a school
- successful/unsuccessful applicant
Every applicant for the scholarship must send two letters of recommendation.
The company received over three hundred applicants for the summer internship.
Applicants to the program are interviewed in March.
nouncountableformalbusiness
a person who fills in a form asking an organization for money, a loan, insurance, or similar help.
Grammar: Countable and used in official or business writing; the verb is 'apply'.
Patterns
- an applicant for a loan
- a loan applicant
- eligible applicants
Banks check the credit history of each applicant before approving a loan.
Only applicants who meet the income rules can receive the grant.
Word forms
| plural | applicants |
|---|
Common combinations
- a job applicant
- Each job applicant was asked to bring a copy of their degree.
- applicant for a position
- She was the strongest applicant for the position.
- successful applicant
- Successful applicants will hear from us by Friday.
- applicant pool
- The applicant pool this year was unusually large.
- reject an applicant
- The committee may reject an applicant who misses the deadline.
Synonyms and how they differ
- candidate
- Use 'candidate' when someone is being considered for a job, an election, or an exam; 'applicant' stresses that the person has already applied and sent in a form.
- claimant
- 'Claimant' fits legal or benefit contexts, where someone asks for money or rights; 'applicant' is the general word for anyone applying for anything.
Word family
- apply verb
- to make a formal request, usually in writing.
- application noun
- the form or request you send when you apply.
- applicable adjective
- relevant or able to be applied to a situation.
Commonly confused: an applicant or application? an applicant or appliance?
an applicant vs application
'Application' is the form or request itself; the 'applicant' is the person who sends it.
an applicant vs appliance
An 'appliance' is a machine such as a fridge or washing machine; the two words sound similar but mean very different things.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'applicant' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'An applicant for a student visa' correctly names the person who applies. Option 1 uses the noun where the verb 'applied' is needed, option 2 needs the plural 'applicants', and option 4 should be 'application', the form itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an applicant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.