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apparatus

noun

Simple meaning

The entirety of means whereby a specific production is made existent or task accomplished.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

aperatuhs

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

æpɚˈætəs

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. The entirety of means whereby a specific production is made existent or task accomplished.

  2. A complex machine or instrument.

  3. collective

    An assortment of tools and instruments.

  4. A bureaucratic organization, especially one influenced by political patronage.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
General and technical use

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A complex machine or instrument.

Used this way, apparatus is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Confusing or complicated
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use apparatus

  • “The scientific apparatus was carefully set up for the experiment.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

breathing apparatusstate apparatusparty apparatuswhole apparatuselectrical apparatusadministrative apparatusexperimental apparatusspecial apparatus

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • apparatus urogenitalisnounCompound term

    The system that includes all organs involved in reproduction and in the formation and voidance of urine.

  • auditory apparatusnounCompound term

    All of the components of the organ of hearing including the outer and middle and inner ears.

  • breathing apparatusnounCompound term

    A device that facilitates breathing in cases of respiratory failure.

  • genitourinary apparatusnounCompound term

    The system that includes all organs involved in reproduction and in the formation and voidance of urine.

  • golgi apparatusnounCompound term

    A netlike structure in the cytoplasm of animal cells (especially in those cells that produce secretions).

  • gymnastic apparatusnounCompound term

    Sports equipment used in gymnastic exercises.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.