appliance
noun
ap·pli·ance ə-ˈplī-ən(t)s 
plural appliances
1
: an act of applying
2
a
: a piece of equipment for adapting a tool or machine to a special purpose : attachment
b
: an instrument or device designed for a particular use or function
an orthodontic appliance
specifically : a household or office device (such as a stove, fan, or refrigerator) operated by gas or electric current
c
British : fire engine
d
: an artificial part or mask that is worn as part of an actor's makeup or costume
… more grown-ups are shelling out for scary facial appliances—wounds, snouts and horns—to create the creepy characters they've dreamed up on their own.
Dana Coffield
Dana Coffield e
computing : information appliance
A growing number of companies are coming up with ways [in 2000] to turn ordinary phones into Internet appliances. Sharon Cleary
Sharon Cleary3
obsolete : compliance
Synonyms
- contraption
- contrivance
- gadget
- gimmick
- gizmo
- gismo
- jigger
- widget
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
All household appliances are now on sale. since the invention of the cork, all manner of appliances have been invented for the extraction of these sometimes troublesome stoppers
Recent Examples on the Web Ahead, shop the best small appliance Labor Day sales of 2022. Heath Owens, Men's Health, 31 Aug. 2022 By the mid-1980s, the appliance became a staple for home cooking. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2022 John Buckingham, portfolio manager and editor of The Prudent Speculator newsletter, likes the Whirlpool Corp. (WHR), a century-old home appliance manufacturer headquartered in Benton Charter, Michigan. Hank Tucker, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Credito Real is owned by the family that controls home-appliance manufacturer Controladora Mabe SA. Sydney Maki, Bloomberg.com, 9 Feb. 2022 Methods are similar for cleaning both front- and top-loading machines, but your owner's manual or the appliance manufacturer's website will usually have the cleaning details for your specific model. Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 28 Apr. 2021 In 1952, the Ulmer office was sold to an electrical appliance manufacturer, which in turn sold it to Acme Lanterns, a company that made lighting fixtures in a loft building next door. John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2020 Energy Star explains that in 12 years, the average lifetime of a dishwasher, hand washing costs $1,795 compared to the appliance that costs $463, which is a $1,332 difference. Jennifer Aldrich, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2022 The all-star appliance is a baker’s best friend, making everything from bread to cookie recipes a cinch thanks to numerous attachments. Samantha Macavoy, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 See More
Heath Owens, Men's Health, 31 Aug. 2022 By the mid-1980s, the appliance became a staple for home cooking. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2022 John Buckingham, portfolio manager and editor of The Prudent Speculator newsletter, likes the Whirlpool Corp. (WHR), a century-old home appliance manufacturer headquartered in Benton Charter, Michigan. Hank Tucker, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Credito Real is owned by the family that controls home-appliance manufacturer Controladora Mabe SA. Sydney Maki, Bloomberg.com, 9 Feb. 2022 Methods are similar for cleaning both front- and top-loading machines, but your owner's manual or the appliance manufacturer's website will usually have the cleaning details for your specific model. Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 28 Apr. 2021 In 1952, the Ulmer office was sold to an electrical appliance manufacturer, which in turn sold it to Acme Lanterns, a company that made lighting fixtures in a loft building next door. John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2020 Energy Star explains that in 12 years, the average lifetime of a dishwasher, hand washing costs $1,795 compared to the appliance that costs $463, which is a $1,332 difference. Jennifer Aldrich, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2022 The all-star appliance is a baker’s best friend, making everything from bread to cookie recipes a cinch thanks to numerous attachments. Samantha Macavoy, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
apply + -ance
First Known Use
1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing appliance
Kids Definition
appliance
noun
ap·pli·ance ə-ˈplī-əns
: a piece of household equipment that performs a particular job
Medical Definition
appliance
noun
ap·pli·ance ə-ˈplī-ən(t)s
: an instrument or device designed for a particular use
prosthetic appliances
an orthodontic appliance used to move misaligned teeth into proper occlusion
appliance
noun
1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use since the invention of the cork, all manner of appliances have been invented for the extraction of these sometimes troublesome stoppers Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- gadget
- tool
- accessory
- gizmo
- contraption
- mechanism
- innovation
- instrument
- utensil
- widget
- contrivance
- gismo
- jigger
- invention
- gimmick
- implement
- ingenuity
- trick
- adjunct
- accessary
- doohickey
- thingamajig
- thingamabob
- dingus
- hickey
- thingummy
- doodad
- hootenanny
- thingumajig
2
as in accessory
something that is not necessary in itself but adds to the convenience or performance of the main piece of equipment an appliance that allows the machine to be used as a sander Synonyms & Similar Words
- accessory
- option
- adapter
- equipment
- appendage
- adaptor
- attachment
- accessary
- additive
- add-on
- adjunct
- accouterment
- furnishings
- enhancement
- accoutrement
- accompaniment
- subsidiary
- auxiliary
- supplement
- ornament
- decoration
- complement
- luxury
- filler
- adornment
- appurtenances
- incidental
- trappings
- trimming
- paraphernalia
- nonessential
- amenity
- embroidery
- trim
- frill
- extra
- garnish
- nonnecessity
- doodad
- bells and whistles
- habiliment(s)
- embellishment
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- essential
- requirement
- necessity
- requisite
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of appliance are implement, instrument, tool, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.
household appliances
In some situations, the words implement and appliance are roughly equivalent. However, implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.
crude stone implements
farm implements
Although the words instrument and appliance have much in common, instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.
the dentist's instruments
Tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.
a carpenter's tools
While the synonyms utensil and appliance are close in meaning, utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.
kitchen utensils