'application' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'applicatio,' where 'ap-' meant 'to' and 'plicare' meant 'to fold.'

'applicatio' transformed into the Old French word 'aplicacion,' and eventually became the modern English word 'application' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'the act of attaching or joining,' but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'use,' 'request,' and 'software program.'