Meaning & use

apparatus

noun·Advanced

A set of equipment or tools designed for a particular scientific or practical purpose.

See it in a sentence

The chemistry students set up the distillation apparatus carefully before starting the experiment.

Firefighters checked their breathing apparatus before entering the smoke-filled building.

A note on using this word

Apparatus can also refer figuratively to an organized system, as in the apparatus of government.

Words with a similar meaning

equipmentmachinery

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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