instrumental en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ɪnstɹəˈmɛntəl/
- /ɪnstɹʊˈmɛntəl/
Etymology
From Middle English instrumental, instrumentale, from Medieval Latin īnstrūmentālis, equivalent to instrument + -al.
Meanings
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Essential or central; of great importance or relevance.
The head is not more native to the heart, The hand more instrumental to the mouth
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:He was instrumental in conducting the business.
Few songwriters have been as instrumental in creating the mold for American music.
2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 2, 51:[...] Prosser was instrumental in the decision in 2010 to recommence publication of an annual health and safety report, following a period when it had fallen into abeyance.
2020 July 29, Ian Prosser discusses with Paul Stephen, “Rail needs robust and strategic plans”, in Rail, page 40:
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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.
1896, Charles M. Sheldon, chapter 12, in In His Steps:
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Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for an instrument, especially a musical instrument (rather than the human voice).
He defended the use of instrumental music in public worship.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:an instrumental part
Sweet voices mix'd with instrumental sounds.
c. 1700, John Dryden, Cymon and Iphigenia:instrumental music
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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
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most instrumental | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more instrumental | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Coordinates
a cappella · vocal · final (serving as a means)
Deriveds
instrumentality · instrumentally · instrumentalisation · instrumental version · instrumentalism · instrumental rationality · instrumentalize · uninstrumental · instrumentalist · instrumental width · instrumental error · instrumentive · instrumentalness
Relateds
Translations (60)
ru твори́тельный (pertaining to the instrumental case) · de entscheidend (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · uk ору́дний (pertaining to the instrumental case) · sq instrumental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · pt instrumental (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · ur آلہ کار (pertaining to the instrumental case) · sk inštrumentál (pertaining to the instrumental case) · ja インストゥルメンタル (of musical instrument) · tr enstrümantal (of musical instrument) · gl instrumental (of musical instrument) · lt instrumentinis (of musical instrument) · de instrumentell (of musical instrument) · hu instrumentális (of musical instrument) · fr instrumental (of musical instrument) · es instrumental (of musical instrument) · de dienlich (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · nn instrumentell (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · cmn 可作為方法的 /可作为方法的 (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · de hilfreich (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · pt instrumental (of musical instrument) · ka მოქმედებითი (pertaining to the instrumental case) · sl orodniški (pertaining to the instrumental case) · cs instrumentální (of musical instrument) · de instrumental (of musical instrument) · pl instrumentalny (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · id instrumental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · bg твори́телен (pertaining to the instrumental case) · fi instrumentaalinen (pertaining to the instrumental case) · tr aletsel (of musical instrument) · es instrumental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · bg инструментален (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · de förderlich (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · cmn 有幫助的 /有帮助的 (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · lo ຊ່ວຍ (pertaining to the instrumental case) · cs instrumentál (pertaining to the instrumental case) · tr enstrümental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · nl instrumentaal (of musical instrument) · pt instrumental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · cmn 可作為手段的 /可作为手段的 (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · tl nakatulong (pertaining to the instrumental case) · el οργανικός (of musical instrument) · sl instrumentalen (of musical instrument) · de Instrumentalis (pertaining to the instrumental case) · fi soitin- (of musical instrument) · tr aletli (of musical instrument) · hu eszközhatározói (pertaining to the instrumental case) · fr instrumental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · pl instrumentalny (of musical instrument) · be тво́рны (pertaining to the instrumental case) · ro instrumental (of musical instrument) · hy գործիական (pertaining to the instrumental case) · nb instrumentell (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · fi instrumentaalinen (of musical instrument) · id instrumental (acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.) · ro instrumental (pertaining to the instrumental case) · sk inštrumentálny (of musical instrument) · ca instrumental (of musical instrument) · ht enstrimantal (pertaining to the instrumental case) · pl narzędnikowy (pertaining to the instrumental case) · fi soittimellinen (of musical instrument)