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

instrumentally

ˌin(t)-strə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

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

Last night, its extended section stretched to 16 minutes, built on deep, psychedelic grooves and the foursome’s remarkable instrumental interplay. — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 23 July 2026

German scientists who came to America after World War II were instrumental in the United States landing men on the moon. — Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

There were live performances of three national anthems, rather than the instrumental versions that amplify the voices and emotions of fans and players. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Dynacom and its billionaire owner, George Prokopiou, have been instrumental during the war in ferrying oil out of the Persian Gulf and into larger export tankers — at windfall prices that have at times reached $500,000 per vessel. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for instrumental

• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• incremental
• interdental
• monumental
• nonjudgmental

Kids 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

instrumentally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

Medical Definition

instrumental

adjective

in·​stru·​men·​tal ˌin(t)-strə-ˈment-ᵊl 

: operant

instrumental learning

instrumental conditioning