INSTRUMENTAL Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

instrumental

adjective

Definition of instrumental

as in essential

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 During his tenure at GBH, Abbott was instrumental in helping launch the PBS on-demand platform PBS Passport, and oversaw nearly 800 employees. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 The docuseries teased first-person interviews from investigative reporters, police investigators, tabloid photographers, and Good Samaritans who were instrumental in publicizing Gadd’s preferences and crimes. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026 Ray, who finished with seven catches for 115 yards, was instrumental on the first touchdown drive, outleaping two defenders for a 36-yard catch along the right sideline. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 The Democratic senator from Massachusetts is a lawyer by training but is best known as a consumer advocate and was instrumental in the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is intended to protect people from fraud. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instrumental

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrumental

Adjective

The same report found that 73% of respondents call AI essential, but only 13% of organizations have integrated it into real workflows.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
There are more details about his parents, a sojourn into San Francisco’s bustling Chinatown and an assertion of autonomy within the Trask household, of which Lee is an essential part.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of essential

Adjective

Saltwater sensor mimics sensory cells Unlike conventional touch sensors, which detect pressure and produce electronic signals through different mechanisms, the new device attempts to replicate a fundamental process in biological sensory cells.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
The assistant’s ability to select products and complete purchases on behalf of users marks a fundamental shift in the way that individuals go online and complete purchases of physical and digital goods and services.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of fundamental

Adjective

To pull off this pant-less look, a high-quality leather piece is necessary to prevent it from reading cheap.

— Irene Richardson, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026
The researchers estimate that several more years of work will be necessary before the technology could become part of a prosthesis capable of sensing and responding naturally to its surroundings.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of necessary

Adjective

On most, delicate jewels were appliquéd to industrial Velcro to provide a point of subversion –– a pre-requisite in every Prada collection.

— Scarlett Conlon, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
The pieces themselves are quite powerful, involving bits and bobs of righteous fury and vigilante justice, but they’re rarely strung together with the requisite rhythm.

— Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of requisite

Adjective

There is a similar ambivalence to Lee’s reiterative combinations of a few basic elements.

— Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Highlighting ingredients is paramount with basic, but bountiful baskets of whole organic veggies on offer for a whopping 18€ for two people.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of basic

Adjective

Even when the weights and every elementary computation are available for inspection, no one can readily understand how the models produce a particular answer.

— Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
This school year, Mayor Mamdani paused the use of AI for elementary and middle school students, and provided grade-appropriate bans or guidance on screen time.

— Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of elementary

Adjective

Meta isn’t alone in trying to convince ordinary people that AI is indispensable.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Cotton farmers represent an indispensable link in the upstream fashion supply chain, cultivating the very crops that make their way into garments spanning seasonality and circumstances, for brands ranging from mass market to luxury.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of indispensable

Browse Nearby Words

instrument

instrumental

instrumentalist

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrumental. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of instrumental

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes