applied 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈplīd How to pronounce applied (audio)
Definition of appliednext
as in applicable
capable of being put to use or account used some applied psychology to get the teenager to become more responsible

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

applied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of apply
1
as in related
to have a relation or connection does your rule about calling home apply to me as well?

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in devoted
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention Sam applied himself to writing thank-you letters to everyone who'd helped sponsor him for the charity walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spread
to put a layer of on a surface apply the ointment liberally

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in used
to put into action or service apply the laws of motion to this physics problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in exerted
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in enforced
to carry out effectively a police officer applying the law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of applied
Adjective
The relationship between mentor and mentee includes monthly check-ins, workshops, applied learning, and access to global business events. — Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Along with theology, that list now includes applied psychology, pharmaceutical sciences and others. — ABC News, 29 June 2026
Verb
The difficult part was measuring the distortions accurately enough such that the correcting heat could be applied with exact precision. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 25 July 2026 To solve this problem, the researchers introduced magnesium ions and applied an electric current. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for applied
Recent Examples of Synonyms for applied
  1. applicable
  2. related
  3. devoted
  4. spread
  5. used
  6. exerted
  7. enforced
  8. useful
Adjective
  • This work offers timeless wisdom and principles on strategy, adaptability, and self-mastery, applicable to warfare, politics, and business alike.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Skokie will use an applicable $600,000 grant previously awarded from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to pay for the improvements, along with additional funding from this year’s Capital Improvement Project budget.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of applicable
Verb
  • The doctor treated her well, explained that the rash on her face wasn’t syphilis-related, but simply the result of years of harsh living, and gave her a cream for that.
    — Eric Boodman, STAT, 31 July 2026
  • Tawhedi pleaded guilty in June last year to attempting to provide material support to ISIS and related firearms offenses.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2026
Definition of related
Verb
  • Long before Bad Bunny became one of the most popular artists in the world, Beltrán devoted his work off the field to helping Puerto Rican youths and promoting his island.
    — Jose de Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • For the past five years, Sapan has devoted much of his time to championing disability on screen through founding Marvels of Media Festival with the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), which celebrates the work of autistic media makers.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of devoted
Verb
  • Spoon about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture in the center of each square, and spread slightly to fill the smaller square while maintaining the border.
    — Torie Cox, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026
  • As the first reports and videos of migrants reaching Ceuta spread on social media, more people headed north in hopes of reaching European Union territory.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of spread
Verb
  • Privacy can restore you when it is chosen, not used as a hiding place.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026
  • Rule 10 - The Banana Ball challenge rule Each manager gets one challenge per game that can be used at any moment — and the challenge is kept if the manager was correct.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 27 July 2026
Definition of used
Verb
  • His administration has also exerted pressure against state AI laws.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 July 2026
  • By dominating the digital world, Silicon Valley has already exerted indirect control over the physical one.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026
Definition of exerted
Verb
  • Some states do, including California, but California’s law was found to be unconstitutional and so is not enforced.
    — Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2026
  • For example, a recent report from Le Monde said the ban is still not enforced in France as of June, given the lack of appropriate inspection resources needed to do so.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 24 July 2026
Definition of enforced
Adjective
  • While useful for tracking expenditure and efficiency, simply counting tokens can be misleading.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • But in the same way that lines of code is not a reliable measure of engineering productivity and APM is a noisy proxy for gaming prowess, token use alone does not imply or guarantee useful, productive output.
    — Nnamdi Iregbulem, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of useful

Browse Nearby Words

applicative
applied
applied (for)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Applied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/applied. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on applied

Nglish: Translation of applied for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All