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Prepositions with nouns

Applicant with different prepositions

Applicant is most commonly followed by for when naming a job, course, or position. Other prepositions can appear in specific contexts, but some combinations are uncommon or incorrect.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with applicant?

The standard pattern is applicant for something: an applicant for a job or visa. Applicant to is used with organisations or institutions in formal contexts, especially universities. By applicant usually appears after another noun, such as information provided by the applicant. Applicant of and applicant on are generally not idiomatic as direct combinations.

She is an applicant for the marketing role.
All documents must be submitted by the applicant.
The university contacted every applicant to the programme.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
applicant for + job/course/visa

What someone is applying for

Use applicant for to name the position, opportunity, or document being requested.

He is an applicant for permanent residency.
We interviewed each applicant for the teaching post.
2
applicant to + institution/organisation

Which institution receives the application

In formal English, applicant to can refer to the organisation, school, or programme receiving the application.

She became an applicant to three medical schools.
Every applicant to the grant programme received instructions.
3
by + applicant

Actions or documents connected to the applicant

By applicant is not a fixed phrase with applicant. By introduces the person doing an action or providing information.

The form must be signed by the applicant.
Additional evidence was supplied by the applicant yesterday.
4
applicant with + qualification/experience

Describing an applicant's qualities

Use with to describe skills, qualifications, or characteristics an applicant has.

We need an applicant with strong technical skills.
The company prefers an applicant with management experience.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
applicant for
She is an applicant for the internship.
Standard expression for the opportunity or position someone wants.
applicant to
He is an applicant to the university.
Formal expression showing the institution receiving the application.
applicant by
The reference letter was submitted by the applicant.
By is not selected by applicant; it introduces the person performing the action.
applicant of
They rejected the phrase applicant of the job.
Applicant of is generally nonstandard in current English. Use applicant for instead.
applicant on
The applicant on the list arrived early.
On does not combine directly with applicant here; on the list is a separate place or position phrase.

Common mistakes

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

Using applicant of for jobs or positions

English normally uses applicant for when naming what someone applies for.

✕ She is an applicant of the scholarship. ✓ She is an applicant for the scholarship.

Using applicant on as a fixed combination

On usually belongs to another phrase, such as on the list or on file.

✕ He is an applicant on the programme. ✓ He is an applicant for the programme.

Confusing applicant to and applicant for

Use applicant for the opportunity and applicant to the institution receiving the application.

✕ She is an applicant to the job. ✓ She is an applicant for the job.

Using by applicant as a noun phrase

By applicant normally follows another noun or verb phrase.

✕ We spoke with the by applicant. ✓ We spoke with the applicant.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is an applicant ___ the research grant.
2. Every applicant ___ the college must submit transcripts.
3. The documents were signed ___ the applicant.

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Frequently asked questions

Is applicant for the most common structure?

Yes. Applicant for is the standard way to refer to the job, programme, visa, or opportunity someone wants.

Can I say applicant to a university?

Yes. Applicant to is formal but natural when referring to the institution receiving the application.

Is applicant of correct English?

In modern standard English, applicant of is usually considered incorrect. Use applicant for instead.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

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