instrumental
adjective
Did you know?
An instrument is a tool, something used to construct. It's often a tool for making music. A musical saw happens to be a carpenter's tool that can be played with a violin bow (though you probably wouldn't want to play a wrench or a pair of pliers). The musical meanings of instrumental, as in "It starts with an instrumental piece" or "a jazz instrumental", are common. But the meanings "helpful", "useful", and "essential", as in "He was instrumental in getting my book published", are just as common.
Examples of instrumental in a Sentence
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Jai’s grandfather, John Lucas Sr., who celebrated his 104th birthday in November 2024, was an esteemed educator for 60 years and was instrumental in desegregating Hillside High School, where he was hired as principal in 1962 and where John II began his athletic career.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Ahead of his induction, Arkansas Tourism stated Woods was instrumental in transforming state tourism into a multibillion-dollar industry.
—Dylan Sherman, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The National Institutes of Health was instrumental in its development of COVID-19 treatments and contributions to vaccine research.
—Katherine A. Foss, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumental
Cite this Entry
“Instrumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumental. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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instrumental
adjective
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instrumental
adjective
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