equipment
Americannoun
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anything kept, furnished, or provided for a specific purpose.
- Synonyms:
- accouterment, paraphernalia, apparatus
-
the act of equipping a person or thing.
-
the state of being equipped.
-
the personal knowledge and skill required for a task, occupation, etc..
He has the necessary equipment for law.
-
the rolling stock of a railroad.
noun
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an act or instance of equipping
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the items so provided
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a set of tools, devices, kit, etc, assembled for a specific purpose, such as a soldier's kit and weapons
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of equipment
Explanation
A motherboard and a graphics processor? Duct tape? A circular saw? A solar panel? Depending on what you’re up to, all these things can be considered equipment, which is whatever you need to complete a task. Right away you probably notice that a big chunk of the word equipment is made up of another word, the common verb equip — meaning "to provide someone with the tools they need for a specific task." Add equip to -ment (the suffix of choice when you want to turn a verb into a noun) and voilà! Like magic, the verb changes into a noun, and you end up with equipment: the materials you get when you are equipped to do a particular thing.
Vocabulary lists containing equipment
"Earthquake"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Scientific Investigation and Reasoning
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During the mid-14th century, Islamic piracy expanded along the Valencian coastline, while increasing militarization created growing demand for protective equipment and weapons.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
That includes support roles like supply pickup, reconnaissance, recovery of equipment or casualties, and hazard inspection.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Rabo is one of the largest lenders to food producers to finance their land, equipment and daily operations, often after they outgrow a local bank.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
His gym is outfitted with Technogym equipment, and he’s an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
These inventions include side-scan sonar, which proved invaluable when locating shipwrecks, advanced underwater picture-taking equipment, and equally advanced methods of mapping a wreck site.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
