gadget

noun

gad·​get ˈga-jət 

: an often small mechanical or electronic device with a practical use but often thought of as a novelty

gadgetry

ˈga-jə-trē 

noun

gadgety

ˈga-jə-tē 

adjective

Synonyms of gadget

• tool
• appliance
• gizmo
• contraption
• widget
• accessory
• mechanism
• innovation

Examples of gadget in a Sentence

The kitchen is equipped with all the latest gadgets.

cell phones, pagers, and other gadgets

Recent Examples on the Web

The speaker would join OpenAI’s only other gadget so far, the $230 Codex Micro mini keyboard. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026

There’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and ANT+, a standard often used to broadcast heart rate data in older fitness gadgets. — Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

That's why self-hosting feels less like owning gadgets and more like reclaiming agency. — New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026

The company and its surveillance devices have become a lightning rod for anxieties around surveillance in the US, embodying concerns about privacy, tech industry oversight, and police abuse of power all in one public gadget. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps a sound-symbolic coinage, with final as in fidget entry 1, midget, idjit (nonstandard form of idiot)

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gadget

• areopagite

Kids Definition

gadget

noun

gad·​get ˈgaj-ət 

: an interesting, unfamiliar, or unusual device with a practical use

gadgetry

ˈgaj-ə-trē 

noun