instrumental
adjective
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An instrument is a tool, something used to construct. It's often a tool for making music. A musical saw happens to be a carpenter's tool that can be played with a violin bow (though you probably wouldn't want to play a wrench or a pair of pliers). The musical meanings of instrumental, as in "It starts with an instrumental piece" or "a jazz instrumental", are common. But the meanings "helpful", "useful", and "essential", as in "He was instrumental in getting my book published", are just as common.
Examples of instrumental in a Sentence
Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2024
The study’s findings will be instrumental in pushing forward research and treatment trials focused not only on ME/CFS but also on other postinfectious illnesses like Long COVID, which may share similar roots, Nath says.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for instrumental 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instrumental.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near instrumental
Cite this Entry
“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumental. Accessed 8 May. 2024.
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instrumental
adjective
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instrumental
adjective
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