applicable
Meaning
relevant or appropriate to a particular situation or subject.
capable of being applied; suitable for application.
Structure
Usage
the rule is only applicable to full-time employees.
this discount is not applicable to items already on sale.
the old regulations are no longer applicable in this case.
Etymology
the word 'applicable' originates from the late latin term 'applicabilis', itself derived from the verb 'applicare', meaning to attach, join, or put to use. the core root 'plicare', meaning to fold, lies at the heart of 'applicare', suggesting the action of bringing something close or attaching it. the suffix '-abilis' is a productive latin adjectival suffix that denotes capability or fitness. therefore, the literal construction "capable of being attached or put to use" evolved logically into the modern abstract sense of being relevant, appropriate, or suitable to a given matter.
Analysis
appli (from latin 'applicare', meaning to attach, join, or put to use; functional role: verbal root). cable (from latin suffix '-abilis', via old french '-able', meaning capable of, fit for; functional role: adjective-forming suffix).