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

Synonyms

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

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

Corsair isn’t the only company in the gaming hardware and peripheral industry making moves as of late, as Turtle Beach acquired the gamepad maker PDP in March. —Emma Roth, The Verge, 9 May 2024

This means scientists must get creative with software solutions, whether that’s squashing bugs in the code or introducing new pieces of code to work around failing hardware. —Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hardware

• hardware cloth

Kids 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