instrumentation
Americannoun
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the arranging of music for instruments, especially for an orchestra.
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the list of instruments for which a composition is scored.
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the use of, or work done by, instruments.
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instrumental agency; instrumentality.
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the science of developing, manufacturing, and utilizing instruments, especially those used in science and industry.
noun
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the instruments specified in a musical score or arrangement
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the arrangement of a piece of music for an orchestra; orchestration
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the study of the characteristics of musical instruments
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the use of instruments or tools
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means; agency
Etymology
Origin of instrumentation
1835–45; instrument (v.) + -ation
Vocabulary lists containing instrumentation
Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Hedges himself picks fluid guitar and banjo, and room is made, too, for some surprising variations in the instrumentation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
“If we didn’t have any instrumentation, we could have launched something great that showed up wonderful on video, but we wouldn’t know if it performed well.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
She retains the delicacy of the instrumentation, but introduces a gorgeous complexity that, in someone else’s hands, would be too much, but here, simply enhances the vocal delivery.
From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026
"Macalla actually means 'echo' in Irish, so we're trying to echo or mirror the instrumentation throughout the group," he told BBC News NI.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
There was a single pilot at the controls, and something on his instrumentation must have told him that the door was open because he suddenly twisted around.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
