adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɪnstɹəˈmɛntəl/
/ɪnstɹʊˈmɛntəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛntəl
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N S T R AH0 M EH1 N T AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH2 N S T R AH0 M EH1 N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Essential or central; of great importance or relevance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He was instrumental in conducting the business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Serving as an instrument, medium, means, or agency.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for an instrument, especially a musical instrument (rather than the human voice).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
Examples
instrumental music
an instrumental part
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Applied 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A composition written or performed without lyrics or singing, using a lead instrument to replace vocals.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A pause in the vocals of a song, usually occurring midway through, in which a musical instrument replaces the vocals.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective
Meaning 8
relating to or designed for or performed on musical instruments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
instrumental compositions
an instrumental ensemble
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: vocal
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
serving or acting as a means or aid
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
instrumental in solving the crime
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: implemental, subservient
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English instrumental, instrumentale, from Medieval Latin īnstrūmentālis, equivalent to instrument + -al.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
инструментален
(instrumentalen)
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Chinese Mandarin:
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.
Chinese Mandarin:
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.
Chinese Mandarin:
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.
German:
dienlich
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
German:
förderlich
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
German:
entscheidend
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
German:
hilfreich
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Indonesian:
instrumental
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Norwegian Bokmål:
instrumentell
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Norwegian Nynorsk:
instrumentell
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Polish:
instrumentalny
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Portuguese:
instrumental
— acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; essential or central.
Catalan:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
Czech:
instrumentální
— of musical instrument
Dutch:
instrumentaal
— of musical instrument
Finnish:
instrumentaalinen
— of musical instrument
Finnish:
soitin-
— of musical instrument
Finnish:
soittimellinen
— of musical instrument
French:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
Galician:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
German:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
German:
instrumentell
— of musical instrument
Greek:
οργανικός
(organikós)
— of musical instrument
Hungarian:
instrumentális
— of musical instrument
Japanese:
インストゥルメンタル
(insuturumentaru)
— of musical instrument
Lithuanian:
instrumentinis
— of musical instrument
Polish:
instrumentalny
— of musical instrument
Portuguese:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
Romanian:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
Slovak:
inštrumentálny
— of musical instrument
Slovene:
instrumentalen
— of musical instrument
Spanish:
instrumental
— of musical instrument
Turkish:
aletli
— of musical instrument
Turkish:
aletsel
— of musical instrument
Turkish:
enstrümantal
— of musical instrument
Albanian:
instrumental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Armenian:
գործիական
(gorciakan)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Belarusian:
тво́рны
(tvórny)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Bulgarian:
твори́телен
(tvorítelen)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Czech:
instrumentál
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Finnish:
instrumentaalinen
— pertaining to the instrumental case
French:
instrumental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Georgian:
მოქმედებითი
(mokmedebiti)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
German:
Instrumentalis
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Haitian Creole:
enstrimantal
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Hungarian:
eszközhatározói
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Indonesian:
instrumental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Lao:
ຊ່ວຍ
(suāi)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Polish:
narzędnikowy
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Portuguese:
instrumental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Romanian:
instrumental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Russian:
твори́тельный
(tvorítelʹnyj)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Slovak:
inštrumentál
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Slovene:
orodniški
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Spanish:
instrumental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Tagalog:
nakatulong
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Turkish:
enstrümental
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Ukrainian:
ору́дний
(orúdnyj)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Urdu:
آلہ کار
(alah-e-kar)
— pertaining to the instrumental case
Bulgarian:
инструментал
— composition without lyrics
Chinese Cantonese:
器樂 /器乐
(hei3 ngok6)
— composition without lyrics
Chinese Mandarin:
器樂 /器乐
(qìyuè)
— composition without lyrics
Czech:
instrumentálka
— composition without lyrics
Dutch:
instrumentaal
— composition without lyrics
Finnish:
instrumentaali
— composition without lyrics
Finnish:
instrumentaalikappale
— composition without lyrics
Finnish:
soitinsävellys
— composition without lyrics
French:
instrumentale
— composition without lyrics
French:
musique instrumentale
— composition without lyrics
Japanese:
インストゥルメンタル
(insuturumentaru)
— composition without lyrics
Japanese:
インスト
(insuto)
— composition without lyrics
Japanese:
器楽曲
(kigakukyoku)
— composition without lyrics
Korean:
기악
(giak)
— composition without lyrics
Portuguese:
instrumental
— composition without lyrics
