Main Entry:

in·stru·men·tal

Pronunciation:

\ˌin(t)-strə-ˈmen-t^əl\

Function:

adjective

Date:

14th century

1 a: serving as a crucial means, agent, or tool <was instrumental in organizing the strike> b: of, relating to, or done with an instrument or tool2: relating to, composed for, or performed on a musical instrument3: of, relating to, or being a grammatical case or form expressing means or agency4: of or relating to instrumentalism5: operant 3 <instrumental learning> <instrumental conditioning>

— instrumental noun

— in·stru·men·tal·ly \-t^əl-ē\ adverb