equipment

American  

[ih-kwip-muhnt] / ɪˈkwɪp mənt /

noun

1. anything kept, furnished, or provided for a specific purpose.

   Synonyms:

   accouterment, paraphernalia, apparatus

2. the act of equipping a person or thing.

3. the state of being equipped.

4. the personal knowledge and skill required for a task, occupation, etc..

   He has the necessary equipment for law.

5. the rolling stock of a railroad.

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equipment British  

/ ɪˈkwɪpmənt /

noun

1. an act or instance of equipping

2. the items so provided

3. a set of tools, devices, kit, etc, assembled for a specific purpose, such as a soldier's kit and weapons

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Other Word Forms

• preequipment noun
• reequipment noun

Etymology

Origin of equipment

First recorded in 1710–20; equip + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

Layers of equipment, from real medical devices to whiteboards scribbled with a patients’ statuses, add to the ambient authenticity of a set built like an open emergency department, not a television soundstage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The idea is to ensure equality of equipment, the better to compare drivers.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

During peak operating hours, when all conveyor belts and baggage sorting equipment are running, the airport relies on Critical Loop’s controller to predict and manage on-site battery needs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

China is reportedly considering limiting solar energy equipment exports to the U.S., according to a report.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 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

Related Words

• apparatus
• furnishings
• furniture
• machinery
• material