equipment

noun

equip·​ment i-ˈkwip-mənt 

1

a

: the set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing: such as

(1)

: the implements used in an operation or activity : apparatus

sports equipment

(2)

: all the fixed assets other than land and buildings of a business enterprise

(3)

: the rolling stock of a railway

b

: a piece of such equipment

2

a

: the equipping of a person or thing

b

: the state of being equipped

3

: mental or emotional traits or resources : endowment

Synonyms

• gear
• apparatus
• facilities
• kit [chiefly British]
• hardware
• stuff
• material(s)

Examples of equipment in a Sentence

The photographer came early to set up his equipment.

I'm looking for a hobby that doesn't require a lot of fancy equipment.

an expensive piece of medical equipment

Not enough funds were provided for the equipment of the troops.

Recent Examples on the Web

With an additional retrofit kit, the Allegro 2 can be converted into a tower, turning it into a double duty piece of equipment. —Amy Wilkinson, SELF, 1 July 2025

Defense industries also explored connected equipment to enhance battlefield awareness, proving the value of connected devices well before IoT became mainstream. —Thomas Ryd, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

The jump in costs includes supplies like envelopes and postage, software and equipment and third-party vendor fees, according to the memo. —Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2025

Mission members slain In a letter to the Security Council, Kenya President William Ruto said the security mission his country is spearheading up in Haiti needs more equipment and operational support. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing equipment

• original equipment manufacturer
• personal protection equipment
• personal protective equipment
• re-equipment

Rhymes for equipment

• transhipment
• transshipment
• shipment

Kids Definition

equipment

noun

equip·​ment i-ˈkwip-mənt 

1

a

: the act of equipping a person or thing

b

: the state of being equipped

2

: the articles serving to equip a person or thing

Legal Definition

equipment

noun

equip·​ment

: the implements used in an operation or activity

specifically, in the Uniform Commercial Code : goods that are not inventory, farm products, or consumer goods

Note: This definition, found in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, applies to other Code articles as well.