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APPLY vs. SOLICIT

25 / 03 / 2004

APPLY vs. SOLICIT: meaning and examples

Good morning everybody.

Today we look at the difference between the verbs apply and solicit. They are similar in meaning, yet very different. They are not the same as their Spanish or Catalan equivalents (aplicar/solicitar), so they can be considered "false friends."

Apply means: to request a job officially or to request a place to study at a university.

Example 1
I applied to three different universities and all of them accepted me! Now I have the difficult job of deciding which one I want to attend.

Example 2
I applied for a job with IBM and it appears they are interested in me; I have my first face-to-face interview this Friday.

Solicit means: to ask for support or money.

Example 3
The president of Iran solicited aid from the United Nations after the devastating earthquake.

Notice that these verbs are similar in some ways; they are used to request something. However, they are not synonyms and they often cause confusion. Remember that we apply for a job by filling out an application. We DO NOT "solicit" a job or fill out a "solicitude."

Enjoy the rest of your day!