The act of physically applying or laying on.
application in U.S. law
• The substance applied.
• The act of applying as a means; the employment of means to accomplish an end; specific use.
• The act of directing or referring something to a particular case, to discover or illustrate agreement or disagreement, fitness, or correspondence.
• A computer program or the set of software that the end user perceives as a single entity as a tool for a well-defined purpose. (Also called: application program; application software.)
• A verbal or written request for assistance or employment or admission to a school, course or similar.
• A petition, entreaty, or other request, with the adposition for denoting the subject matter.
• The act of requesting, claiming, or petitioning something.
• Diligence; close thought or attention.
• A kind of needlework; appliqué.
• The substitution of a specific value for the parameter in the abstraction, in lambda calculus.
• Compliance.
The practical impact of application
application appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
application — procedural details
In practice, application is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.