INSTRUMENTAL Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

instrumental

adjective

Definition of instrumental

as in essential

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of instrumental Under the state constitution, the governor has no formal role in the amendment process, but Pritzker’s political and financial support would be instrumental in convincing voters to approve one. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026 Her organizing was instrumental in California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which granted farmworkers the legal right to form unions, hold secret-ballot elections, and bargain collectively with their employers. — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 29 Oct. 2026 Williams’ second-half surge was instrumental in making the game close after a quiet first half. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 Blank spaces were also viewed as instrumental to imperial expansion. — Thomas J Bassett, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instrumental

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrumental

Adjective

Maintaining essential services for 90 days Maintaining essential services for 90 days requires more than backup generators or stockpiled supplies.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
If Amendment 3 passes, money for those essential services will be cut by billions per year.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of essential

Adjective

All this is at stake when fundamental science budgets are being drastically cut.

— Mattanjah de Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Finally, there’s a fundamental misconception that estate planning is an expensive process that’s necessary only for older and wealthier people.

— Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of fundamental

Adjective

The father and son are accused of recycling patients through their facilities to continue billing insurance companies, regardless of whether treatment was medically necessary or actually provided.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
That means no seasoning necessary, rust resistance, and easy cleanup.

— Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of necessary

Adjective

This abuse is hidden and yet often cast as inevitable and unpredictable — a framing that fosters tolerance, alongside the requisite handwringing over severe cases.

— Michele Decker, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
The piece is then securely shipped to AP’s Customer Service facilities, where the maison’s watchmakers examine it and carry out the requisite checks.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of requisite

Adjective

There’s no such thing as a basic room here; even the smallest ones, at 240 to 260 square feet, look out over the bluffs to whitecaps winking in the sun.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
For the new fiscal year, the NSF’s budget is proposed to be cut in half, along with large budget cuts in most areas of basic science, including medical science at the National Institutes of Health.

— Mattanjah de Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of basic

Adjective

For instance, in 1970 the mathematician John Conway introduced the Game of Life, where an elementary set of rules governing the movement of pixels on a screen leads to remarkably rich ecosystems.

— Noah Giansiracusa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Research from a Texas Christian University professor shows elementary students who get an hour of outdoor play daily perform better in the classroom.

— Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of elementary

Adjective

Thus, if the Dallas Cowboys are a must-buy for NFL advertisers, the SEC is similarly indispensable for marketers looking to make a splash in front of a college football audience.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Among scientists, scholars, and citizens, the term has become indispensable and inescapable.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of indispensable

Browse Nearby Words

instrument

instrumental

instrumentalist

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“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrumental. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of instrumental

adjective

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