applicant
B2Neutral to formal; common in professional, academic, and administrative contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A person who formally requests or puts themselves forward for something, typically a job, place, or grant.
A party making an official submission in various contexts, including legal proceedings, immigration, loans, or university admissions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies active engagement in a selection or approval process. The word focuses on the act of applying rather than the ultimate role (cf. 'candidate' which can imply later stages).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. The administrative contexts (e.g., 'visa applicant', 'grant applicant') are equally common.
Connotations
Neutral in both. Slightly more formal than 'candidate' in job contexts.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
applicant for (a job/the position)applicant to (a university/the programme)applicant from (a country/another firm)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms with 'applicant' as the head word]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to individuals seeking employment. 'We had over 200 applicants for the marketing role.'
Academic
Refers to students seeking university admission or researchers seeking funding. 'The university welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.'
Everyday
Used when talking about applying for things like loans, passports, or memberships. 'All applicants need to provide two forms of ID.'
Technical
In law, a party initiating a motion or appeal; in computing, a process or user requesting system resources.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Not applicable; 'applicant' is solely a noun. The related verb is 'apply'.)
American English
- (Not applicable; 'applicant' is solely a noun. The related verb is 'apply'.)
adverb
British English
- (Not applicable.)
American English
- (Not applicable.)
adjective
British English
- (Not applicable; the related adjective is 'applicable'.)
American English
- (Not applicable; the related adjective is 'applicable'.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is an applicant for the job.
- There are three applicants for the flat.
- The successful applicant will be notified by email next week.
- University applicants must submit their forms by January.
- The company was impressed by the calibre of the applicants for the graduate scheme.
- As an applicant for a UK visa, you need to provide financial evidence.
- The panel shortlisted five applicants from a pool of over a hundred, based on their innovative project proposals.
- The legal applicant sought judicial review of the decision.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'APPLICANT' APPLIes for a job or a plaNT at university. They put in an application.
Conceptual Metaphor
APPLICANT IS A SUPPLIER (offering their skills/services), SELECTION IS A MARKET (with applicants as commodities).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'заявитель' (which is narrower, often for official complaints/claims).
- Do not directly translate as 'аппликант' (this is a false friend and not standard).
- The correct common translation is 'кандидат' or 'соискатель', but note 'кандидат' is broader.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'applicant' for the thing applied to (e.g., 'I sent my CV to the applicant' → use 'company/employer').
- Misspelling as 'aplicant'.
- Using with incorrect preposition: 'applicant of' instead of 'applicant for/to'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'applicant' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An 'applicant' has taken the active step of submitting an application. A 'candidate' is someone being considered for selection, which may come later in the process (e.g., after shortlisting). All applicants are initial candidates, but not all candidates are necessarily applicants (e.g., someone nominated by others).
Rarely in modern usage. It is almost exclusively a noun for persons or legal entities (like a company). For non-sentient things, words like 'requestor' or 'submitting entity' might be used in technical contexts.
The most common are 'applicant for' (a job, grant, visa) and 'applicant to' (a university, programme, institution).
No. 'Applicant' is gender-neutral. There is no distinct female form in English.