paraphernalia

noun

par·​a·​pher·​na·​lia ˌper-ə-fər-ˈnāl-yə 

ˌpa-rə-,

-fə-ˈnāl-yə

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

a

: articles of equipment designed for a particular use or activity : apparatus

sports paraphernalia

Just across the road there's also a well-stocked supermarket and a souvenir shop selling all manner of beach paraphernalia.

—Helen McGurk

Simple possession of drug paraphernalia [=equipment used especially for taking, preparing, or selling illegal drugs] is not a federal crime. However, some state laws prohibit owning or possessing these items.

—Jeffrey A. Singer

b

: items or features typically associated with a particular activity, subject, etc. : appurtenances

… witches screaming into the lightning, monsters lurking and leaping, titanic battles between massed forces of Good and Evil, and the rest of the usual paraphernalia of fantasy horror.

—Melanie A. Rawls

The whole paraphernalia of the modern university—endowments, buildings and grounds, trustees and president, heads of departments and deans, curricula, grades and examinations—were absent or subordinated.

—J. McKeen Cattell

She had learned that she could always win him to her point of view by disguising a naked fact in the paraphernalia of philosophy.

—Ellen Glasgow

2

: personal belongings

[Dani S.] Bassett [professor] describes her [grandmother] as an "ultra-collector"—she had a basement and crawlspace full of antique paraphernalia such as chairs, books, crystal glasses, silverware, paintings and buttons.

—Amelia Tait

3

dated : the separate real or personal property of a married woman that she can dispose of by will and sometimes according to common law during her life

Did you know?

Today, paraphernalia is typically encountered in its "equipment" and "accessories" senses in such common contexts as "fishing paraphernalia," "music paraphernalia," and "drug paraphernalia." But the word hasn't always been used in these ways. Originally, paraphernalia referred to property that a married woman owned herself, as distinct from her husband's property or the dowry she brought to the marriage. Paraphernalia came to English, via Medieval Latin, from the Greek term parapherna, meaning "bride's property beyond her dowry" (from para-, meaning "beyond," and phernē, meaning "dowry"). Although paraphernalia was plural in Medieval Latin, it can take either a singular or plural verb in English; in other words, both "coffee paraphernalia lines the café's shelves" and "coffee paraphernalia line the café's shelves" are acceptable.

Synonyms

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

Examples of paraphernalia in a Sentence

Mind if we pick through your personal effects? The King of Scrounge, an American serviceman, has crammed his local apartment with enough salvaged paraphernalia to equip a battalion. —Garry Trudeau, New York Times, 25 June 1991

There were odd knickknacks (strange that the Hebrew naknik should mean sausage)— … shell ashtrays from Brighton, all my stepmother's paraphernalia. —Anthony Burgess, Wilson Quarterly, Spring 1991

To an Englishman, accustomed to the paraphernalia of Westminster Hall, an American Court of Law is as odd a sight as, I suppose, an English Court of Law would be to an American. Except in the Supreme Court at Washington (where the judges wear a plain black robe), there is no such thing as a wig or gown connected with the administration of justice. —Charles Dickens, American Notes, 1842

mountain-climbing paraphernalia

packed up all of their paraphernalia for the move across the country

Recent Examples on the Web

At the time of their arrest, authorities said Boston and his father, who was also charged, drew law enforcement attention by opening phone lines and ordering drugs and paraphernalia in famous comedians' names, including Tim Allen and Tracy Morgan. —Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2024

The endless array of wine gadgets and kitschy paraphernalia out there can be overwhelming, and frankly, not all of it is bound to be useful or appreciated. —Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024

He was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Dec. 2024

There’s still plenty of time left in Skeleton Crew’s eight-episode season to undercut these tensions and turn Wim’s obsession with Jedi lore and paraphernalia into a virtue. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, ultimately from Greek parapherna bride's property beyond her dowry, from para- + phernē dowry, from pherein to bear — more at bear

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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Kids Definition

paraphernalia

singular or plural noun

par·​a·​pher·​na·​lia ˌpar-ə-fə(r)-ˈnāl-yə 

1

: personal belongings

2

: furnishings, apparatus

purchased all the necessary paraphernalia of the sport