instrumental

[in-struh-men-tl]

adjective

1. serving or acting as an instrument or means; useful; helpful.

   Synonyms: effective, effectual, implemental

2. performed on or written for a musical instrument or instruments.

   instrumental music.

3. of or relating to an instrument or tool.

4. Grammar.

   1. (in certain inflected languages, as Old English and Russian) noting or pertaining to a case having as its distinctive function the indication of means or agency, as Old English beseah blīthe andweitan “looked with a happy countenance.”

   2. noting the affix or other element characteristic of this case, or a word containing such an element.

   3. similar to such a case form in function or meaning, as the Latin instrumental ablative, gladiō, “by means of a sword.”

   4. (in case grammar) pertaining to the semantic role of a noun phrase that indicates the inanimate, nonvolitional, immediate cause of the action expressed by a verb, as the rock in The rock broke the window or in I broke the window with the rock.

noun

1. Grammar.

   1. the instrumental case.

   2. a word in the instrumental case.

   3. a construction of similar meaning.

2. a musical composition played by an instrument or a group of instruments.

instrumental

/ ˌɪnstrəˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. serving as a means or influence; helpful

2. of, relating to, or characterized by an instrument or instruments

3. played by or composed for musical instruments

4. grammar denoting a case of nouns, etc, in certain inflected languages, indicating the instrument used in performing an action, usually translated into English using the prepositions with or by means of

noun

1. a piece of music composed for instruments rather than for voices

2. grammar

   1. the instrumental case

   2. a word or speech element in the instrumental case

Other Word Forms

• instrumentally adverb
• noninstrumental adjective
• noninstrumentally adverb
• uninstrumental adjective
• uninstrumentally adverb
• instrumentality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of instrumental¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word instrūmentālis. See instrument, -al ¹

Example Sentences

The Women's Premier League, India's franchise T20 tournament, has been instrumental in improving their depth and giving them the experience of playing in front of big crowds, which had all built up to this moment.

Read more on BBC

His expansive style - which helped Bath lift the Premiership title last season - has been quickly adopted, with Ford instrumental in implementing his ideas.

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Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, who oversees the company and has been instrumental in its shake-up, wasn’t on the call.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Acquisitions are also instrumental in the other areas of Boston Scientific’s business, including medical surgical, or MedSurg, which analysts expect to grow close to 10% annually over the long term.

Read more on Barron's

The group is an instrumental outfit that operates between categories—not quite rock; not quite jazz; both acoustic and electronic; playing music that exists somewhere between composition and improvisation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• involved