instrumentalist
noun
in·stru·men·tal·ist
ˌin(t)-strə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ist 
1
: a player on a musical instrument
2
: an exponent of instrumentalism
instrumentalist
adjective
Examples of instrumentalist in a Sentence
he excels as a conductor, a composer, and as an instrumentalist
Recent Examples on the Web
The instrumentalists are really his only audience there, following his lead and providing layers of harmonies throughout the performance.
—
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Since then, Carter has quickly gained a massive following and reputation for being a gifted performer, singer and instrumentalist beyond her years, with an impressive vocal range to boot.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 17 May 2024
Both sides of my family played music skillfully: instrumentalists of the banjo, piano, and organ existed on my mother’s side, while my father’s relatives had played the piano, violin, and other stringed instruments.
—Ayla Samli, Longreads, 14 May 2024
Image Along with being an instrumentalist and a producer, Niño, 47, has been a beatmaker, a D.J. on both terrestrial and online radio, a record collector and a venue programmer.
—Eric Ducker, New York Times, 13 May 2024
Prime Video cameras then panned to a dapper-looking Brown dressed in a black suit, whose silky voice melted into the microphone with support from a section of string instrumentalists.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Thankfully, longtime fans weren’t disappointed last night, since with 20 instrumentalists wedged onto the Gilman Opera House stage, Bang on a Can Allstars expertly translated the singular harmonic complexity and pulsating dynamics of 18 Musicians.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 6 May 2024
Joining his siblings in Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, 7-year-old Stephen served as the group's primary instrumentalist, providing vocals on a handful of tracks and infusing their sound with dancehall elements.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024
There is also no lack of gifted composers, singers, and instrumentalists.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Since then, Carter has quickly gained a massive following and reputation for being a gifted performer, singer and instrumentalist beyond her years, with an impressive vocal range to boot.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 17 May 2024
Both sides of my family played music skillfully: instrumentalists of the banjo, piano, and organ existed on my mother’s side, while my father’s relatives had played the piano, violin, and other stringed instruments.
—Ayla Samli, Longreads, 14 May 2024
Image Along with being an instrumentalist and a producer, Niño, 47, has been a beatmaker, a D.J. on both terrestrial and online radio, a record collector and a venue programmer.
—Eric Ducker, New York Times, 13 May 2024
Prime Video cameras then panned to a dapper-looking Brown dressed in a black suit, whose silky voice melted into the microphone with support from a section of string instrumentalists.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Thankfully, longtime fans weren’t disappointed last night, since with 20 instrumentalists wedged onto the Gilman Opera House stage, Bang on a Can Allstars expertly translated the singular harmonic complexity and pulsating dynamics of 18 Musicians.
—Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 6 May 2024
Joining his siblings in Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, 7-year-old Stephen served as the group's primary instrumentalist, providing vocals on a handful of tracks and infusing their sound with dancehall elements.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024
There is also no lack of gifted composers, singers, and instrumentalists.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instrumentalist.' 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 instrumentalist
Cite this Entry
“Instrumentalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumentalist. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instrumentalist
noun
in·stru·men·tal·ist
ˌin(t)-strə-ˈment-ᵊl-əst
: a person who plays a musical instrument
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