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

Begin with simulators to test initial concepts before investing in real quantum hardware. —Yuval Boger, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024

One notable recent hire was Zheng Gao, previously the leader of Tesla’s autopilot hardware design team, now director of hardware engineering for Zoox. —Lora Kolodny,jennifer Elias, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2024

As Eric Berger noted, Ingenuity stood out from other NASA hardware in two ways. —Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2024

Our readers wanted to know more about power beaming, new kinds of nuclear fusion, vertical solar farms, powerful ways to drill deeper into the Earth’s crust to harness geothermal energy, and grid hardware that connects renewable energy projects. —IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 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