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Showing results for apparatus. Search instead for apparattuses/1.
Definitions

apparatus

[ap-uh-rat-uhs, -rey-tuhs] / ˌæp əˈræt əs, -ˈreɪ təs /
NOUN
equipment with a purpose
Synonyms
STRONGEST
appliance device gear gizmo machine machinery means mechanism
STRONG
accoutrement contraption dingbat doodad doohickey furnishings gaff gimcrack gimmick grabber habiliments implement jigger job outfit paraphernalia provisions setup stuff supplies tackle thingamajig tools utensils whatchamacallit whatsis widget
WEAK
black box idiot box whosis
NOUN
organization or system
Synonyms
STRONGEST
bureaucracy hierarchy network structure
STRONG
setup
WEAK
chain of command

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When he shot into prominence in 2024, Magyar had no party apparatus behind him.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The BBC has obtained footage and interviews from Tehran which evoke a city of strained nerves, of constant waiting for the next blast and relentless fear of the state security apparatus.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Dyszel built frames for neutron tracking detectors and assembled them within the experimental apparatus.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

But Iran’s state apparatus was built to outlive individual leaders, thanks to layered and overlapping centers of political and military power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

But like violent crime in general, the murder rate cannot explain the growth of the penal apparatus.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.