Equip vs. Equipt — What's the Difference?

Equip refers to the act of providing someone or something with the necessary items, tools, or knowledge for a particular purpose. For instance, soldiers are equipped with weapons for battle. On the other hand, "equipt" is an archaic or outdated form of the word "equipped," which is the past tense of "equip." While "equip" remains in common usage in modern English, "equipt" is seldom seen or used in contemporary writings or communications.

Equip, in various contexts, implies not only the act of supplying physical tools but also intangible ones, such as skills or knowledge. For example, a teacher equips students with knowledge. Contrarily, equipt, due to its outdated nature, primarily appears in older literature or in specific instances where the writer wants to evoke a sense of antiquity.

Equip is recognized universally in English-speaking countries and will be understood by speakers of American, British, Australian, and other variants of English. In contrast, if one uses equipt, it might be viewed as an error or as a deliberate stylistic choice, depending on the context.

Both words stem from the Latin word "equipare," which means "to compare." While equip has retained its relevance and meaning over time, equipt, as a variant of "equipped," has largely faded from contemporary English, making it a word that is both historically rich but less functional in modern times.