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 of hardware

• equipment
• gear
• apparatus

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

In February 2025, NASA hired an independent team to determine why the mission failed, examining everything from broken hardware to leadership mistakes. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026

Calm branched out into hardware recently, partnering last year with a maker of high-tech sleep earbuds. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026

Kim on Wednesday hinted more military hardware may be shown off in the coming days. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026

Also consider corner clearances and make sure door and drawer hardware will clear the items perpendicular to them. —Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hardware

• hardware cloth

Rhymes for hardware

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

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