instrumental

American  

[in-struh-men-tl] / ˌɪn strəˈmɛn 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.

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noun

instrumentals plural

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 British  

/ 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

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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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• instrumentals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of instrumental

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

Explanation

Instrumental music involves just instruments — no singing. But you could also say that the conductor is instrumental to — or a critical part of — an orchestra's success. If you enjoy the ballet, part of it may be the instrumental music that accompanies the graceful movements. An instrumental song is one without a singer, and there can be instrumental passages of any song, where the band just plays and the singer is quiet. But this word also means something like useful. You could say that Martin Luther King, Jr. was an instrumental part of the civil rights movement because he was such an important part of it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instrumental instrumentals

She then played an instrumental role in England retaining the European Championships that summer, including scoring the title-winning penalty against Spain in the shootout.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

To paraphrase Stephen Miller, surely the most instrumental figure in the Trump White House, the only thing that matters is power.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Zach Witkoff, the son who would later become instrumental in Trump’s presidential wealth-building, was married at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, with the Trumps in attendance.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

The shuttle runs have been instrumental because, until recently, only a small number of shipowners were willing to risk sending their tankers through Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

I bet Coach Johnson was instrumental in convincing Will to turn in his girlfriend.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

There’s also three original instrumentals and a song out of Price’s early archives, “Can’t Stand Still.”

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

The album is split between instrumentals and songs, but the use of samples—often including pitch-shifted voices—and sense of flow make it feel like a single unified work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

“Dennis Hopper” is a record of 25 interconnected songs, stories and instrumentals that explain who Dennis Hopper was, and why he’s worthy of this project.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2025

Infusing mostly rich, ethereal instrumentals with the music of her Spanish roots and Brazilian vibes, Casado, born in Spain, creates an intoxicating space to dwell and think.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025

Hence, then, in the and why we have instrumental ablatives, or, simply, instrumentals.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

Related Words

• involved