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applicant

American  
[ap-li-kuhnt] / ˈæp lɪ kənt /

noun

  1. a person who applies for or requests something; a candidate.

    an applicant for a position.
applicant British  
/ ˈæplɪkənt /

noun

  1. a person who applies, as for a job, grant, support, etc; candidate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of applicant

First recorded in 1475–85, applicant is from the Latin word applicant- (stem of applicāns applying, present participle of applicāre ). See apply, -ant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On its rebuilding dashboard, the county reports that cases spend an average of 32 days in county review compared with 122 days waiting for applicant response.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The request from Dhillon to the schools asks for 46 categories of applicant information for incoming classes starting in 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Those pictures require patience, time, and pain to conjure on the part of the applicant.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Previously, a housing applicant needed to have a connection to the local authority – such as living in the council area for six months or more.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

The applicant wrote his name and was then handed a newspaper in Chinese to test his reading.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.