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
Bathroom fixture company Kohler — known for sleek kitchen and bath hardware — is launching the Dekoda, a device equipped with scanners that will analyze the your urine and bowl movements.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Trump has engineered a flurry of trade deals with other Asian countries and Australia over the past week to supply the US with rare earth minerals, which are critical for batteries and clean energy hardware as well as sectors more important to Trump, including weapons and AI chips.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Many of the chips inside these buildings become obsolete within a few years, when Nvidia and its competitors release the next wave of bleeding-edge AI hardware.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Plus, the up-front hardware costs (dish, router, and mounting) are higher than for a typical cable or fiber installation.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardware
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Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Trump has engineered a flurry of trade deals with other Asian countries and Australia over the past week to supply the US with rare earth minerals, which are critical for batteries and clean energy hardware as well as sectors more important to Trump, including weapons and AI chips.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Many of the chips inside these buildings become obsolete within a few years, when Nvidia and its competitors release the next wave of bleeding-edge AI hardware.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Plus, the up-front hardware costs (dish, router, and mounting) are higher than for a typical cable or fiber installation.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 30 Oct. 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 Nov. 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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