equip

equip — verb

1. to supply a person, vehicle, room, or building with the tools or supplies needed

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to supply a person, vehicle, room, or building with the tools or supplies needed for a specific activity.

Example

The hiker equipped his backpack with a first-aid kit and a water filter.

equip + [sb/sth] + with + [sth]

The new hospital was equipped with state-of-the-art scanning machines.

passive: be equipped with [equipment]

Common collocations
  • equip with
  • equip for
  • fully equipped
  • well equipped
  • equip yourself
  • specially equipped
Synonyms
  • outfit

    More informal and often implies a complete set of gear, especially for a specific activity

  • furnish

    More formal; often used for rooms or buildings rather than people

  • stock

    Focuses on supplying a store or shelf with goods rather than preparing for an activity

Antonyms
  • strip

    To remove equipment or contents from

Grammar Patterns

equip + [sb/sth] + with + [sth]

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice. The thing being equipped is typically a person, vehicle, room, or building, and the items provided are introduced by the preposition 'with'.

Common Mistakes

The kitchen was equipped by new appliances.
The kitchen was equipped with new appliances.
'equip' takes 'with' to introduce the items provided, not 'by'.
We equipped the team enough water.
We equipped the team with enough water.
The verb 'equip' always requires 'with' before the items supplied.

2. to supply a person with the abilities, know-how, or confidence necessary to face

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to supply a person with the abilities, know-how, or confidence necessary to face a situation or carry out a task successfully — for example, a training course might equip nurses to respond to emergency situations on their own.

Example

The training program equipped Meera with the confidence to speak in public.

equip + [sb] + with + [abstract noun]

An internship at a local hospital equipped Ritu with the confidence to apply for nursing school.

equip + [sb] + for + [challenge]

Common collocations
  • equip someone for
  • equip someone with
  • well equipped to
  • equip students
  • equip yourself
Synonyms
  • prepare

    More general; can include mental readiness without implying specific skills are taught

  • train

    More intensive and structured, usually through formal instruction or practice

Grammar Patterns

equip + [sb] + with + [abstract noun]

equip + [sb] + for + [challenge/task]

equip + [sb] + to-infinitive

Usage Note

The direct object is usually a person or a group. The thing provided is typically an abstract noun such as 'skills', 'knowledge', 'confidence', or 'understanding'. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not apply to physical objects or places.

Common Mistakes

The course equipped for students practical skills.
The course equipped students with practical skills.
The object (the person being equipped) must come right after 'equip', before 'with'.

equip — abbreviation

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Equip', 'furnish', 'outfit', and 'provide' all involve giving someone or something what they need, but they differ in scope and register. 'Equip' (the most common of the four) focuses on supplying tools or gear for a specific purpose — you equip a kitchen with pots or a car with a GPS. 'Furnish' is more formal and usually applies to rooms or buildings: you furnish an apartment with sofas and beds, not with small tools. 'Outfit' is slightly informal and suggests a complete set of gear for an activity or role — you outfit a hiker with boots, a tent, and a backpack. 'Provide' is the broadest and most neutral: you can provide anything from food to information to services, and it does not carry the 'preparation for action' sense that 'equip' implies. For example, a hotel provides towels, but it equips the gym with weights.

equip ↗furnish ↗outfitprovide ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • equip yourself
  • equip someone for success
  • equip someone to do something

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchFrenchEnglish

The word 'equip' entered English in the 1500s from French 'équiper', which came from Old French 'esquiper' meaning 'to fit out a ship'. This Old French word was borrowed from a Germanic root related to 'ship' (Old Norse 'skip', Old English 'scip'), so the original idea was 'to put things on board a ship to get it ready for a voyage'. Over time the meaning broadened from ships to any kind of preparation with tools or skills.