What does equipped mean?
Equipped is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'equip', which means to provide a person, place, or thing with whatever is needed for a particular purpose. It also works as an adjective describing something that has been fitted out properly: a fully equipped kitchen has all its appliances, and a well-equipped hospital has the instruments and supplies its staff require. The word extends naturally to people as well as objects — someone may be described as equipped with experience, knowledge, or confidence for a task, giving the term both a concrete and a figurative life. Its tone is neutral to formal, appearing frequently in technical, military, journalistic, and everyday contexts. The word traces back through French équiper to Old Norse origins connected with fitting out ships, which explains why so many of its earliest uses involved preparing vessels for sea. Few words capture readiness quite so neatly.
Past tense and past participle of equip: supplied with the items or qualities needed for a particular purpose.
"They equipped the expedition with everything it would need above the snow line."
Fitted out or provided with the necessary equipment or resources; prepared or able to handle something.
"The apartment comes fully equipped, down to the coffee maker."
Before it meant kitting anyone out, 'equip' literally meant to fit out a ship — it sailed into English from the language of the Vikings.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of equipped
'Equipped' derives from the verb 'equip', borrowed from French équiper in the early modern period. French équiper is generally traced to Old Norse skipa, 'to man or fit out a ship', itself formed from skip, 'ship' — making English 'ship' a distant Germanic cousin of the same root. The word entered English in the sixteenth century chiefly in nautical and military contexts before broadening to any act of supplying with necessities.
Related word forms
How equipped is actually used
As an adjective, 'equipped' most often appears after a linking verb ('the room is equipped') or before a noun in compounds like 'well-equipped' or 'fully equipped'. The figurative sense about people being prepared or capable is common in formal writing and speech.
Easily confused with equipped
'Equip' is the base form of the verb used for present or future actions, while 'equipped' is its past tense and past participle form.