Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Applied for or applied to?

Applied for and applied to are both standard, but they express different ideas. One refers to requests, and the other refers to use or relevance.

Quick answer

How do applied for and applied to differ?

Use applied for when someone requests a job, visa, or opportunity. Use applied to when something is used on a surface or situation, or when a rule relates to something.

She applied for a scholarship.
The cream was applied to the affected area.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
applied for + opportunity

Requesting something formally

Use applied for with jobs, permits, grants, and similar things.

He applied for a teaching position.
2
applied to + surface/situation

Using or relating something

Use applied to for physical application or when a rule or idea affects something.

The rule was applied to all cases equally.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
applied for
They applied for citizenship.
Requested something formally.
applied to
The paint was applied to the wall.
Put onto a surface or made relevant to something.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Mixing up request and use

Use for when requesting something.

✕ She applied to a visa. ✓ She applied for a visa.

Using for after physical application

Use to for surfaces or affected objects.

✕ The medicine was applied for the skin. ✓ The medicine was applied to the skin.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He applied ___ a loan last week.
2. The solution was applied ___ the damaged area.
3. The rule applies ___ everyone equally.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Can apply to mean submit an application to an organisation?

Yes. You can apply to a university or company, but apply for a job or course.

Is applied for only used with formal requests?

Mostly yes. It is commonly used for jobs, visas, grants, and similar requests.

Can applied to be used figuratively?

Yes. Rules, theories, and methods can be applied to situations.

abhorrent-to-in-for-of, about "ablaze with" or "ablaze in"? "able for" or "able in"? "abreast of" or "abreast with"? "absent from" or "absent in"? absolute in, for, of, to or as? "absurd to", "absurd in" or "absurd for"? abundant in, with, of, on or for? "abusive to", "abusive in" or "abusive towards"? "academic in" or "academic at"? "acceptable to" or "acceptable for"? accessible to, by, for, from or in?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account