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Glite Dictionary
to apply for

to apply for

208 1.4
To officially ask for something like a job or a visa
  • phrasal verb
  • /əˈplaɪ fɔr/
translation icon : solicitar
  • After reviewing the requirements, she chose to apply for a permit to open her own business.
  • apply for a job
  • apply for admission
  • apply for a visa

Yeah, well, before Vietnam, I'd applied for a Commission.

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Examples

  • My husband hired on as a mechanic, and I applied for an office job.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • William Harris is applying for permission to marry.

    Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

  • But the three of us applied for a grant from the National Science Foundation.

  • I had I had applied for a million different jobs.

    Chris Williamson

  • "How old do you have to be to apply for a job?"

    Academic text (2011)

  • From there, go to apply for assistance.

    ClearValue Tax

  • Phil moved in with his uncle and applied for a job at the plant.

    Academic text (1990)

  • How many times have you applied for the director's job, my job, and been rejected?

    97 Minutes (2023)

  • Is she applying for a job with you?

    Man of the Year (2006)

  • One student asked an RD how she might apply for the job after graduating.

    Academic text (1990)

Synonyms

to put in
vsto apply for
60 3.2

Make a formal request or application for something like a job

is used for a wider range including permits or scholarships and document submission

How Formal

to petition
  • Formal
61 3.5
to apply for
208 1.4
to request
∞ 1.0
to ask for
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

apply for infinitive
applied for past
applied for past participle
applying for present participle
applies for third person singular

Morphology

apply + for

The meaning 'to formally request something' is directly derivable from 'apply' (to formally request) combined with the preposition 'for' that marks the target or purpose. This is a straightforward verb + preposition composition found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Apply for comes from a simple image: you apply by putting your form, name or papers toward something you want, like a job or visa. So, to apply for something means 'to formally request' it by sending your documents.