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.
That status “justifies range instrumentation, tracking and communications, road and utility work” and cost-sharing partnerships like those the FAA is looking into, Burke wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission reported that the nanobubbling reduced “odors and bacteria,” but the project concluded prematurely after a flood swept some of the instrumentation into the river.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
Bettan delivers his song, a lovestruck ballad called Michelle, with sincerity and passion, nimbly moving into his falsetto over a mix of electronic beats and Middle Eastern instrumentation.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
His nimble shifts between tempos and instrumentation reach an early peak on the 8 1/2-minute “Heart of Darkness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 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.
