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
Significant hurdles in error correction and hardware stability remain, keeping practical, large-scale quantum computers a decade or more away.
—
Leeor Shimron, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This was done by connecting the laptops to hardware devices designed to allow for remote access — things like keyboard-video-mouse, or KVM, switches.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Mission slipped into 2025 because ULA needed more Vulcan rocket hardware beyond Cert-2 and the two USSF missions that took priority over the Dream Chaser flight.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Beyond their ability to spread and expel heat, a major benefit of these compact cooling chips is that they can be installed to perform exactly where they're needed within tight confines of hardware products – rather than cooling a larger area on the inside.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardware
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Leeor Shimron, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This was done by connecting the laptops to hardware devices designed to allow for remote access — things like keyboard-video-mouse, or KVM, switches.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Mission slipped into 2025 because ULA needed more Vulcan rocket hardware beyond Cert-2 and the two USSF missions that took priority over the Dream Chaser flight.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Beyond their ability to spread and expel heat, a major benefit of these compact cooling chips is that they can be installed to perform exactly where they're needed within tight confines of hardware products – rather than cooling a larger area on the inside.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 June 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 4 Jul. 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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