instrumentalism
noun
in·stru·men·tal·ism
ˌin(t)-strə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ˌi-zəm 
: a doctrine that ideas are instruments of action and that their usefulness determines their truth
Examples of instrumentalism in a Sentence
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Doubtless not a few of them harbor a special disdain for American Evangelicalism, with its gaudy, prosperous instrumentalism.
—
James Wood, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2020
There's nothing particularly quantum-mechanical about instrumentalism.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 18 Nov. 2011
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James Wood, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2020
There's nothing particularly quantum-mechanical about instrumentalism.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 18 Nov. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Instrumentalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumentalism. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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