instrumental
adjective
in·stru·men·tal
ˌin(t)-strə-ˈmen-tᵊl 
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 tool
2
: relating to, composed for, or performed on a musical instrument
3
: of, relating to, or being a grammatical case or form expressing means or agency
4
: of or relating to instrumentalism
5
: operant sense 3
instrumental learning
instrumental conditioning
instrumental
noun
Did you know?
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
They played instrumental music at the wedding.
an instrumental version of a song
Recent Examples on the Web
Fellow semifinalist Lincoln-Sudbury is young, but versatile senior Nicole Lent is one of the state’s top players, and her leadership with senior co-captain Natalia Gaeta will be instrumental.
—
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The Irish singer-songwriter, who lives near Dublin, set off for Nashville and hit it off with Simon, a writer and producer who was instrumental in the success of Noah Kahan’s breakthrough record Stick Season.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Their children have helped with social media, and their daughter, a business major at DePaul University in Chicago, has been instrumental in putting what she’s learned to practical use for them.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Kevin Overton and Keyshawn Hall have been instrumental in carrying the Tigers through the tournament.
—Garrett Chorpenning, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
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Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The Irish singer-songwriter, who lives near Dublin, set off for Nashville and hit it off with Simon, a writer and producer who was instrumental in the success of Noah Kahan’s breakthrough record Stick Season.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Their children have helped with social media, and their daughter, a business major at DePaul University in Chicago, has been instrumental in putting what she’s learned to practical use for them.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Kevin Overton and Keyshawn Hall have been instrumental in carrying the Tigers through the tournament.
—Garrett Chorpenning, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
Cite this Entry
“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumental. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instrumental
adjective
in·stru·men·tal
ˌin(t)-strə-ˈment-ᵊl
1
a
: acting as an instrument or means
was instrumental in organizing the club
b
: of, relating to, or done with an instrument
instrumental error
2
: relating to, composed for, or performed on a musical instrument
an unusual instrumental arrangement
Medical Definition
instrumental
adjective
in·stru·men·tal
ˌin(t)-strə-ˈment-ᵊl
: operant
instrumental learning
instrumental conditioning
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