Standard Lemma guide

appliance

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /əˈplaɪ.əns/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪəns
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 P L AY1 AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An implement, an instrument or apparatus designed (or at least used) as a means to a specific end, especially

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An implement, an instrument or apparatus designed (or at least used) as a means to a specific end, especially:

A non-manual apparatus or device, powered electrically or by another small motor, used in homes to perform domestic functions (household appliance) and/or in offices.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Many house fires are caused by faulty appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An implement, an instrument or apparatus designed (or at least used) as a means to a specific end, especially:

An attachment, a piece of equipment to adapt another tool or machine to a specific purpose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of applying.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

Examples

  • 1658, Elias Ashmole, The Way to Bliss, London: Nath. Brook, Book 2, Chapter 2 “Of Health,” p. 75, [...] there be three things, and every one full of under-branches belonging to this Art and way of Healing: The first is knowledge of the Diseases: the second is the Remedies against them: and the third of the appliance of Remedies; All which should be traversed in this Discourse.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: application

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A means of eliminating or counteracting something undesirable, especially an illness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

Examples

  • c. 1775, Thomas Hull, Moral Tales in Verse, London: George Cawthorn, 1797, Volume 2, “The Advantages of Repentance,” pp. 161-162, With charitable care They rais’d him up, and, by appliance meet, Quicken’d the pulse, and bade it flow anew.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cure, medicine, remedy

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Willing service, willingness to act as someone wishes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: compliance

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

durable goods for home or office use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: durables, durable goods, consumer durables

Narrower terms: dryer, drier, home appliance, household appliance

8

noun

Meaning 8

a device or control that is very useful for a particular job

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: contraption, contrivance, convenience, gadget, gizmo, gismo, widget

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device

Narrower terms: gadgetry, gimbal, injector, mod con

History

Etymology

Recorded since the 1560s. From the English apply + -ance.

Across languages

Translations

80 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: جِهَاز (jihāz) — a device in its own right
  • Belarusian: прыбо́р (prybór) — a device in its own right
  • Belarusian: прыла́да (pryláda) — a device in its own right
  • Belarusian: апара́т (aparát) — a device in its own right
  • Bulgarian: у́ред (úred) — a device in its own right
  • Bulgarian: устро́йство (ustrójstvo) — a device in its own right
  • Bulgarian: апара́т (aparát) — a device in its own right
  • Bulgarian: при́бор (príbor) — a device in its own right
  • Chinese Mandarin: 器械 (qìxiè) — a device in its own right
  • Chinese Mandarin: 器具 (qìjù) — a device in its own right
  • Chinese Mandarin: 機器 /机器 (jīqì) — a device in its own right
  • Danish: apparat — a device in its own right
  • Dutch: toestel — a device in its own right
  • Dutch: huishoudstoestel — a device in its own right
  • Finnish: laite — a device in its own right
  • French: appareil — a device in its own right
  • Georgian: ხელსაწყო (xelsac̣q̇o) — a device in its own right
  • German: Gerät — a device in its own right
  • German: Apparat — a device in its own right
  • Greek: συσκευή (syskeví) — a device in its own right
  • Hindi: उपकरण (upakraṇ) — a device in its own right
  • Indonesian: peranti — a device in its own right
  • Japanese: 器械 (kikai) — a device in its own right
  • Japanese: 機器 (kiki) — a device in its own right
  • Japanese: 器具 (kigu) — a device in its own right
  • Javanese: ꦥꦶꦫꦤ꧀ꦠꦶ (piranti) — a device in its own right
  • Javanese: ꦲꦭꦠ꧀ (alat) — a device in its own right
  • Javanese: ꦥꦼꦂꦏꦏꦱ꧀ (perkakas) — a device in its own right
  • Korean: 기계 (gigye) — a device in its own right
  • Korean: 기구 (gigu) — a device in its own right
  • Macedonian: уред (ured) — a device in its own right
  • Macedonian: апарат (aparat) — a device in its own right
  • Māori: pūrere — a device in its own right
  • Norwegian Bokmål: innretning — a device in its own right
  • Norwegian Bokmål: apparat — a device in its own right
  • Norwegian Bokmål: anordning — a device in its own right
  • Norwegian Bokmål: husholdningsapparat — a device in its own right
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: innretning — a device in its own right
  • Polish: urządzenie — a device in its own right
  • Portuguese: aparelho — a device in its own right
  • Portuguese: dispositivo — a device in its own right
  • Russian: прибо́р (pribór) — a device in its own right
  • Russian: устро́йство (ustrójstvo) — a device in its own right
  • Russian: аппара́т (apparát) — a device in its own right
  • Serbo-Croatian: uređaj — a device in its own right
  • Serbo-Croatian: sprava — a device in its own right
  • Spanish: electrodoméstico — a device in its own right
  • Spanish: aparato — a device in its own right
  • Swedish: apparat — a device in its own right
  • Swedish: anordning — a device in its own right
  • Turkish: aygıt — a device in its own right
  • Turkish: cihaz — a device in its own right
  • Ukrainian: пристрі́й (prystríj) — a device in its own right
  • Ukrainian: апара́т (aparát) — a device in its own right
  • Bulgarian: приспособле́ние (prisposoblénie) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Bulgarian: уре́д (uréd) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Bulgarian: прибо́р (pribór) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Finnish: kodinkone — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Finnish: laite — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • French: appareil électrique — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • German: Haushaltsgerät — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • German: Vorrichtung — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • German: Apparat — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • German: Anordnung — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Greek: συσκευή (syskeví) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Hindi: उपकरण (upakraṇ) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Korean: 기구 (gigu) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Māori: pūrere — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Portuguese: dispositivo — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Russian: приспособле́ние (prisposoblénije) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Russian: прибо́р (pribór) — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Spanish: implemento — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Spanish: instrumento — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Spanish: aparato — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Spanish: enseres — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Swedish: apparat — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Swedish: anordning — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Turkish: aygıt — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Turkish: cihaz — an implement, instrument or apparatus
  • Welsh: teclyn — an implement, instrument or apparatus
Real reading context

appliance in complete knowledge articles