instrumental

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: in=stru=men=tal

CIDE DICTIONARY

instrumental, a. [Cf. F. instrumental.].

•  Acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; as, he was instrumental in conducting the business.  [1913 Webster]

  "The head is not more native to the heart,
  The hand more instrumental to the mouth."  [1913 Webster]
•  Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for, an instrument, esp. a musical instrument; as, instrumental music, distinguished from vocal music.  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]

  "Sweet voices mix'd with instrumental sounds."  [1913 Webster]
•  Applied to a case expressing means or agency; as, the instrumental case. This is found in Sanskrit and Russian as a separate case, but in Greek it was merged into the dative, and in Latin into the ablative. In Old English it was a separate case, but has disappeared, leaving only a few anomalous forms.  [1913 Webster]

Instrumental errors, those errors in instrumental measurements, etc., which arise, exclusively from lack of mathematical accuracy in an instrument.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

instrumental, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 (usu. foll. by to, in, or in + verbal noun) serving as an instrument or means (was instrumental in finding the money).
2 (of music) performed on instruments, without singing (cf. VOCAL).
3 of, or arising from, an instrument (instrumental error).
4 Gram. of or in the instrumental.
--n.
1 a piece of music performed by instruments, not by the voice.
2 Gram. the case of nouns and pronouns (and words in grammatical agreement with them) indicating a means or instrument.

Derivative

instrumentalist n. instrumentality n. instrumentally adv.

Etymology

ME f. F f. med.L instrumentalis (as INSTRUMENT)

THESAURUS

instrumental

accessory, adjuvant, advantageous, agential, agentival, agentive, ancillary, assistant, assisting, auxiliary, beneficial, catalytic, concert, conducive, contributory, dramatico-musical, employable, facilitating, favoring, forwarding, fostering, handy, helpful, helping, important, intermediary, jazz, jazzy, mediating, mediatorial, ministerial, ministering, ministrant, nurtural, nutricial, of service, orchestral, promoting, rock, serviceable, serving, significant, subservient, subsidiary, supporting, supportive, swing, symphonic, syncopated, useful, utilitarian, valuable

ROGET THESAURUS

instrumental

Instrumentality

N instrumentality, aid, subservience, subserviency, mediation, intervention, medium, intermedium, vehicle, hand, agency, minister, handmaid, midwife, accoucheur, accoucheuse, obstetrician, gobetween, cat's-paw, stepping-stone, opener, key, master key, passkey, latchkey, open sesame, passport, passe-partout, safe-conduct, password, instrument, expedient, means, instrumental, useful, ministerial, subservient, mediatorial, intermediate, intervening, conducive, through, by, per, whereby, thereby, hereby, by the agency of, by dint of, by virtue of, in virtue of, through the medium of, along with, on the shoulders of, by means of, by the aid of, with the aid of, per fas et nefas, by fair means or foul, somehow, somehow or other, by hook or by crook.

Means

N means, resources, wherewithal, ways and means, capital, revenue, stock in trade, provision, a shot in the locker, appliances, means and appliances, conveniences, cards to play, expedients, two strings to one's bow, sheet anchor, aid, medium, instrumental, mechanical, by means of, with, by what means, by all means, by any means, by some means, wherewith, herewith, therewith, wherewithal, how, through, with the aid of, by the aid of, by the agency of.

Instrument

N instrument, machinery, mechanism, engineering, instrument, organ, tool, implement, utensil, machine, engine, lathe, gin, mill, air engine, caloric engine, heat engine, gear, tackle, tackling, rig, rigging, apparatus, appliances, plant, materiel, harness, trappings, fittings, accouterments, barde, equipment, equipmentage, appointments, furniture, upholstery, chattels, paraphernalia, mechanical powers, lever, leverage, mechanical advantage, crow, crowbar, handspike, gavelock, jemmy, jimmy, arm, limb, wing, oar, paddle, pulley, wheel and axle, wheelwork, clockwork, wheels within wheels, pinion, crank, winch, cam, pedal, capstan, wheel, inclined plane, wedge, screw, spring, mainspring, can hook, glut, heald, heddle, jenny, parbuckle, sprag, water wheel, handle, hilt, haft, shaft, heft, shank, blade, trigger, tiller, helm, treadle, key, turnscrew, screwdriver, knocker, hammer, edge tool, borer, vice, teeth, nail, rope, peg, support, spoon, arms, oar, cardiograph, recapper, snowplow, tenpenny, votograph, instrumental, mechanical, machinal, brachial.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.