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As you grow up, you realize your philosophical views don't apply much to/in your daily life.

Which option is more grammatically correct?

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  • What do you deduce after finding the example given to illustrate sense 'intransitive 1' by AHD, and sense 2 by Collins? – Edwin Ashworth Feb 8 '14 at 14:20
  • Although perhaps I'd better add that 'As you grow up, you realize that, in your daily life, your philosophical views don't apply much .' is grammatical whereas 'As you grow up, you realize that, to your daily life, your philosophical views don't apply much .' isn't. 'Apply to (...)' is unitary, 'apply in (...)' is verb + prepositional phrase – Edwin Ashworth Feb 8 '14 at 14:22
  • This isn’t so much a matter of grammar as it is of understanding the difference between the application of two different prepositions, in and to, when these follow the verb apply. – tchrist♦ Feb 8 '14 at 16:45
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Grammatically either preposition is fine. Arguably there could be a slight difference in emphasis with other referents, but I can't really see how that would apply in the case of daily life. You might be able to imagine the potential difference more easily with, say,...

These regulations don't apply to/in the UK

...where to implies the regulations apply to the UK as an entity, but in implies the regulations apply to people or circumstances arising within the UK.

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