Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of applicant
"The admissions office is still reviewing all applicants for the fall semester."
In plain English: Applicants are people who have officially asked to join a group, get a job, or enter a competition.
"The manager sat down with all the applicants to interview them for the new job."
Usage: Use applicants to refer to people who have formally applied for a job, admission, or other opportunity. Always treat this word as a plural noun that requires plural verbs and pronouns, such as "The applicants are waiting."
Derived from the Latin applicans, the present participle of applicare meaning "to apply," applicants refers to those who put themselves forward or make an application. The term entered English in the early 17th century with this original sense of actively applying for something.