Origin: Latin suffix -ment
Equipment has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
an instrumentality needed for an undertaking or to perform a service
The act of equipping, or the state of being equipped, as for a voyage or expedition.
In plain English: Equipment is any of the tools, machines, or gear you need to do a specific job or activity.
"The gym needs new equipment to replace the old machines."
Usage: Equipment refers to the tools, machines, or supplies needed for a specific activity rather than the act of preparing oneself. Use it to describe physical items collectively, noting that it is an uncountable noun and should not be pluralized as equipments.
The word comes from combining the verb equip with the suffix -ment, a pattern that mirrors how English forms many other nouns like enjoyment. It entered the language in this specific compound form to denote the things needed for a particular purpose.