hardware
noun
hard·ware
ˈhärd-ˌwer 
1
: ware (such as fittings, cutlery, tools, utensils, or parts of machines) made of metal
2
: major items of equipment or their components used for a particular purpose
educational hardware
: such as
a
: military equipment
b
: the physical components (such as electronic and electrical devices) of a vehicle (such as a spacecraft) or an apparatus (such as a computer)
3
: an award (such as a trophy, medal, or cup) given in a sports competition
Examples of hardware in a Sentence
She bought some new hardware for her system.
gathered together the hardware needed to set up a first aid station at the finish line for the marathon
Recent Examples on the Web
All mammals have the physiological ability to measure both oxygen and CO2 in their bodies, and essentially use the same hardware to do it, McKnight said.
—
Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025
Update, Tuesday Mar 25, 2025: This article has been updated with details on the Pixel 10 imaging hardware.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
The nodules are rich in metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese – key ingredients for batteries, smartphones, wind turbines and military hardware.
—Alexus Cazares-Nuesser, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
These outages are often caused by issues such as software bugs, hardware failures, misconfigured server settings, and even human mistakes like accidental data deletions.
—Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardware
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Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025
Update, Tuesday Mar 25, 2025: This article has been updated with details on the Pixel 10 imaging hardware.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
The nodules are rich in metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese – key ingredients for batteries, smartphones, wind turbines and military hardware.
—Alexus Cazares-Nuesser, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
These outages are often caused by issues such as software bugs, hardware failures, misconfigured server settings, and even human mistakes like accidental data deletions.
—Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardware
Cite this Entry
“Hardware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardware. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hardware
noun
hard·ware
ˈhär-ˌdwa(ə)r
-ˌdwe(ə)r
1
: articles (as fittings, cutlery, tools, utensils, or parts of machines) made of metal
2
: the equipment used for a particular purpose
computer hardware
military hardware
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