Answer vs Apply - What's the difference?
answer | apply |
A response or reply; something said]] or [[do, done in reaction to a statement or question.
A solution to a problem.
(legal) A document filed in response to a complaint, responding to each point raised in the complaint and raising counterpoints.
(ambitransitive) To make a reply or response to.
* Bible, 1 Kings xviii. 26
* Shakespeare
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4
, passage=“Well,” I answered , at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.}}
To speak in defence against; to reply to in defence.
(ambitransitive) To respond to a call by someone at a door or telephone, or other similar piece of equipment.
To suit a need or purpose satisfactorily.
* Alexander Ellis
* 1903 , , (The Way of All Flesh) , Ch. 41
To be accountable or responsible; to make amends.
* Shakespeare
(legal) To file a document in response to a complaint.
To correspond to; to be in harmony with; to be in agreement with.
* 1775 , (Richard Brinsley Sheridan), (The Duenna) , Act 2, Scene 2
* B. Edwards
To be opposite, or to act in opposition.
* Gilpin
To be or act in conformity, or by way of accommodation, correspondence, relation, or proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; usually with to .
* Jonathan Swift
* Shakespeare
* Shakespeare
* Bible, Proverbs xxvii. 19
To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification; to refute.
* Bible, Matt. xxii. 46
* Milton
* Macaulay
To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, or demand.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) To render account to or for.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) To atone; to be punished for.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) To be or act as an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay.
* Bible, Eccles. x. 19
To lay or place; to put or adjust (one thing to another);—with to; as, to apply the hand to the breast; to apply medicaments to a diseased part of the body.
* {{quote-book
, author=
, title=Translation of Virgil's Aeneid
, passage=He said, and to the sword his throat applied .
, year=1697}}
To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case; to appropriate; to devote; as, to apply money to the payment of a debt.
To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relative; as, to apply the testimony to the case; to apply an epithet to a person.
* (rfdate) Milton,
To fix closely; to engage and employ diligently, or with attention; to attach; to incline.
* 1611 , '', ''Proverbs 23:12,
To betake; to address; to refer; generally used reflexively.
* Alexander Pope
* (rfdate) Johnson
To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).
To pertain or be relevant to a specified individual or group.
(obsolete) To busy; to keep at work; to ply.
* Sir Philip Sidney
(obsolete) To visit.
* Chapman
In lang=en terms the difference between answer and apply
is that answer is to speak in defence against; to reply to in defence while apply is to pertain or be relevant to a specified individual or group.In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between answer and apply
is that answer is (obsolete) to be or act as an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay while apply is (obsolete) to visit.As verbs the difference between answer and apply
is that answer is (ambitransitive) to make a reply or response to while apply is to lay or place; to put or adjust (one thing to another);—with to; as, to apply the hand to the breast; to apply medicaments to a diseased part of the body.As a noun answer
is a response or reply; something said]] or [[do|done in reaction to a statement or question.As an adjective apply is
.answer
English
(wikipedia answer)Alternative forms
* (both obsolete)Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), andsware, from (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- Her answer to his proposal was a slap in the face .
- There is no simple answer to corruption.
Derived terms
() * answerless * answer on a postcard * answerphone * answer printSee also
* askEtymology 2
From (etyl) answeren, andswaren, from (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- There was no voice, nor any that answered .
- She answers him as if she knew his mind.
- to answer a charge or accusation
- Nobody answered when I knocked on the door.
- Of course for publication in a newspaper, my palaeotype would not answer , but my glossotype would enable the author to give his Pennsylvania German in an English form and much more intelligibly.
- Theobald spoke as if watches had half-a-dozen purposes besides time-keeping, but he could hardly open his mouth without using one or other of his tags, and "answering every purpose" was one of them.
- The man must answer to his employer for the money entrusted to his care.
- Let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial law.
- I wish she had answered her picture as well.
- The use of dunder in the making of rum answers the purpose of yeast in the fermentation of flour.
- The windows answering each other, we could just discern the glowing horizon through them.
- Weapons must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person.
- That the time may have all shadow and silence in it, and the place answer to convenience.
- If this but answer to my just belief, / I'll remember you.
- As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
- No man was able to answer him a word.
- These shifts refuted, answer thine appellant.
- The reasoning was not and could not be answered .
- He answered my claim upon him.
- The servant answered the bell.
- This proud king studies day and night / To answer all the debts he owes unto you.
- I will send him to answer thee.
- And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
- Money answereth all things.
Derived terms
() * answerable * answer at * answer back * answerer * answer for * answer the call of nature * answer the helm * answer toSee also
* questionapply
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) applier, ((etyl) appliquer), from (etyl) . See applicant, ply.Verb
(en-verb)- Yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied .
- Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
- sacred vows applied to grisly Pluto
- I applied myself to him for help.
- I recently applied to the tavern for a job as a bartender.
- Most of the colleges she applied to were ones she thought she had a good chance of getting into.
- Many of them don't know it, but almost a third of the inmates are eligible to apply for parole or work-release programs.
- That rule only applies to foreigners.
- She was skillful in applying his humours.
- His armour was so clear, / And he applied each place so fast, that like a lightning thrown / Out of the shield of Jupiter, in every eye he shone.