instrumental
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instrumental
- /ɪnstɹəˈmɛntəl/
- /ɪnstɹʊˈmɛntəl/
Rhymes with -ɛntəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English instrumental, instrumentale, from Medieval Latin īnstrūmentālis, equivalent to instrument + -al.
adjective more instrumental · most instrumental
- Essential or central; of great importance or relevance. He was instrumental in conducting the business.
- Serving as an instrument, medium, means, or agency. Maxwell started back to his study, feeling that kind of satisfaction which a man feels when he has been even partly instrumental in finding an unemployed person a remunerative position.
- Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for an instrument, especially a musical instrument (rather than the human voice). instrumental music
- Of or relating to a case expressing means or agency, generally corresponding to the English use of prepositions such as by, with, through, or by means of with the objective case. the instrumental case
Opposite: noninstrumental
noun instrumentals
- The instrumental case.
- A composition written or performed without lyrics or singing, using a lead instrument to replace vocals. I recommend this album in the face of the fact that five of the eleven songs are the purest filler, dull instrumentals with a harmonica rifling over an indifferent rhythm section. The rest is magnificent […]
- A pause in the vocals of a song, usually occurring midway through, in which a musical instrument replaces the vocals.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: helpful, instrumental case, implemental, important, imperative, meaningful, crucial, basic, primary, determinant, effective, fundamental, paramount, handy, essential, expedient
adjective
Opposite: noninstrumental
Translations
Every language
adj acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
| 中文 | 有幫助的 /有帮助的, 可作為方法的 /可作为方法的, 可作為手段的 /可作为手段的 |
|---|---|
| Português | instrumental |
| Deutsch | dienlich, förderlich, entscheidend, hilfreich |
adj of musical instrument
| Español | instrumental |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | インストゥルメンタル insuturumentaru |
| Português | instrumental |
| Français | instrumental |
| Deutsch | instrumental, instrumentell |
| Ελληνικά | οργανικός organikós |
| Română | instrumental |
adj pertaining to the instrumental case
| Español | instrumental |
|---|---|
| Português | instrumental |
| Français | instrumental |
| Deutsch | Instrumentalis |
| Română | instrumental |
| Русский | твори́тельный tvorítelʹnyj |
noun composition without lyrics
| 한국어 | 기악 giak |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | インストゥルメンタル insuturumentaru, インスト insuto, 器楽曲 kigakukyoku |
| 中文 | 器樂 /器乐 qìyuè |
| Português | instrumental |
| Français | instrumentale, musique instrumentale |
Talk about this word "instrumental." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/instrumental. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. instrumental. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/instrumental "instrumental." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/instrumental.Cite this
@misc{instrumental_2026,
title = {instrumental},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/instrumental},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
