instrumental

adjective

in·​stru·​men·​tal ˌin(t)-strə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce instrumental (audio)
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
instrumentally adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His month-long sabbatical was instrumental in defining ROS as a tool. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024 Iran’s proxy Hezbollah has been instrumental in assisting Assad regain territory lost to militias and rebel groups. Mostafa Salem, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024 Celebrity Endorsements and Impactful Partnerships Celebrity support has been instrumental in raising awareness. Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 Soto finished third in MVP voting behind only Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and was instrumental in leading the Yankees back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for instrumental 

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of instrumental was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near instrumental

Cite this Entry

“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumental. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

instrumental

adjective
in·​stru·​men·​tal ˌin(t)-strə-ˈment-ᵊl How to pronounce instrumental (audio)
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
instrumentally adverb

Medical Definition

instrumental

adjective
in·​stru·​men·​tal ˌin(t)-strə-ˈment-ᵊl How to pronounce instrumental (audio)
: operant
instrumental learning
instrumental conditioning
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!