apply and use share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. apply means “put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose”. use means “the act of using”. use is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈplaɪ/
1.v.put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
“use your head!”
2.v.be pertinent or relevant or applicable
“The same laws apply to you!”
3.v.ask (for something)
“He applied for a leave of absence”
/ˈjus/
1.n.the act of using
“he warned against the use of narcotic drugs”
2.n.what something is used for
“the function of an auger is to bore holes”
3.n.a particular service
“he put his knowledge to good use”
| apply | use | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈplaɪ/ | /ˈjus/ |
| Said | uh-PLAHY | yoos |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 10 | 13 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | use, utilize, utilise | usage, utilization, utilisation |
Full entry for apply · Full entry for use · More comparisons