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
This week, another titan who has been instrumental in shaping American media and telecommunications began to unwind his Hollywood holdings.
—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
The siblings have been there for one another since day one—and Austin’s even been instrumental in masterminding some of his sister’s biggest moments.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
LaLiga has been instrumental in boosting the development of African soccer, establishing itself as the first European league to put down roots on the continent just over 10 years ago.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
30 June 2026
Meals and off-train experiences are included, too, to give riders a thorough understanding of how instrumental the cross-country rail system was for the growth of Australia—and to relax while doing so.
—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
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Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
The siblings have been there for one another since day one—and Austin’s even been instrumental in masterminding some of his sister’s biggest moments.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
LaLiga has been instrumental in boosting the development of African soccer, establishing itself as the first European league to put down roots on the continent just over 10 years ago.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
30 June 2026
Meals and off-train experiences are included, too, to give riders a thorough understanding of how instrumental the cross-country rail system was for the growth of Australia—and to relax while doing so.
—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 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 3 Jul. 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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