instrumental
instrumental Lexical Profile
instrumental Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Serving as a crucial means, agent, or factor in achieving a particular result or purpose.
"Her early research was instrumental in developing the new vaccine."
Performed on or written for musical instruments exclusively, without vocal accompaniment.
"The film's soundtrack consists entirely of atmospheric instrumental music."
Arising from, relating to, or performed with the use of a mechanical, scientific, or measuring instrument.
"Researchers calibrated the sensors to minimize instrumental error during the experiment."
Relating to or denoting a grammatical case that indicates the means or agency by which an action is carried out.
"In Russian and Sanskrit, the instrumental case marks the tool or agent used to accomplish an action."
• noun
A musical composition or recording performed entirely on instruments, without vocals or lyrics.
"The band opened their concert with a five-minute guitar instrumental."
The instrumental grammatical case, or a word inflected in this case, used in certain languages to indicate the means or instrument by which an action is accomplished.
"In Old English, traces of the old Germanic instrumental still survived in certain pronouns and adjectives."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the sense of 'playing a crucial role,' 'instrumental' is most commonly used as a predicate adjective followed by the preposition 'in' and a gerund or noun phrase (e.g., 'She was instrumental in securing the contract').
• Rhymes for instrumental
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Medieval Latin instrumentalis ('pertaining to an instrument or tool'), from Latin instrumentum ('a tool, implement, or means'), derived from instruere ('to build, prepare, furnish, or equip').