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.

For the buyers, it’s way cheaper, more efficient, and less burdensome than the official Meta/TikTok/YouTube ad-and-influencer apparatus.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

“The Devil Wears Prada” was and is the perfect example of a self-contained story, built by the studio machine but never intended to keep the apparatus running.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Once Kansas City police have trained counterdrone personnel and installed detection equipment for soccer matches at Arrowhead Stadium, that capability does not disappear — it becomes part of the local security apparatus.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

As difficult as things are for Cubans, the state security apparatus still finds the money to do its dirty work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

I wonder if Genly Ai sees that in Orgoreyn, despite the vast visible apparatus of government, nothing is done visibly, nothing is said aloud.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Vocabulary lists containing apparatus

Orbiting Jupiter

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Among the Hidden

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The Time Machine

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