equipment

noun

equip·​ment i-ˈkwip-mənt 

1

a

: the set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing: such as

(1)

: the implements used in an operation or activity : apparatus

sports equipment

(2)

: all the fixed assets other than land and buildings of a business enterprise

(3)

: the rolling stock of a railway

b

: a piece of such equipment

2

a

: the equipping of a person or thing

b

: the state of being equipped

3

: mental or emotional traits or resources : endowment

Synonyms

• accoutrements
• accouterments
• apparatus
• gear
• hardware
• kit [chiefly British]
• material(s)
• matériel
• materiel
• outfit
• paraphernalia
• stuff
• tackle

Examples of equipment in a Sentence

The photographer came early to set up his equipment.

I'm looking for a hobby that doesn't require a lot of fancy equipment.

an expensive piece of medical equipment

Not enough funds were provided for the equipment of the troops.

Recent Examples on the Web

Caddies, like most other chiefs of staff, have multiple responsibilities, from keeping score to the more mundane, such as carrying the golfers’ equipment, keeping the clubs clean, and raking the sand to restore the contours of a bunker after their golfer chips out of a sand trap. —Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

The investigations into those crashes continue while the U.S. Department of Transportation tries to make progress on the long-standing issues of not having enough air traffic controllers and relying on outdated equipment. —Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025

They are also designed to support special operation missions by accommodating up to 66 personnel and their equipment. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025

The birds, a Mourning dove and European starling, were collected by the operators of the power line, PG&E, who said in a statement to KGO that the equipment at the center of the bird controversy met avian safety standards, in a statement provided to USA TODAY Tuesday. —James Powel, USA Today, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing equipment

• original equipment manufacturer
• personal protection equipment
• personal protective equipment
• re-equipment

Rhymes for equipment

• transhipment
• transshipment
• shipment

Kids Definition

equipment

noun

equip·​ment i-ˈkwip-mənt 

1

a

: the act of equipping a person or thing

b

: the state of being equipped

2

: the articles serving to equip a person or thing

Legal Definition

equipment

noun

equip·​ment

: the implements used in an operation or activity

specifically, in the Uniform Commercial Code : goods that are not inventory, farm products, or consumer goods

Note: This definition, found in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, applies to other Code articles as well.