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Competition seems no less applicable to a one-time event than the word contest (observe how this reporter talks about the outdoor cooking competition).
Source: word choice - "Contest" vs. "competition" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

In the above sentence, what does the 'no less applicable to' mean?

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  • Note that in the original post, it wasn't about a "word contest". It was about the word contest. Apr 8, 2016 at 12:38

2 Answers 2

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The preposition used with an adjective is usually the same as the preposition used with the adjective's verbal form.

We can apply a label to something.

If it is a suitable label (the can of beans is labelled "Beans") then we can say that

The label is applicable to it.

applicable to = can (truthfully) be applied to.

When we say that a label can be applied to something or that a label is applicable, we mean that the label is correct or accurate or true.

No less = equally (or perhaps even greater)

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definition of applicable (from dictionary.com)

adjective

  1. applying or capable of being applied; relevant; suitable;

We should also note that to apply means to "put into use". Less is just a quantifier, and "no" is a negation.

So this simply means that the competition seems to be equally suitable to a one-time event, and to the word contest. The competition is not any less competent and able to perform in a one-time event than it is in a word contest.

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