- (a.) Acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; as, he was instrumental in conducting the business.
- (a.) Applied to a case expressing means or agency; as, the instrumental case. This is found in Sanskrit 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.
- (a.) Pertaining to, made by or prepared for, an instrument, especially a musical instrument; as, instrumental music, distinguished from vocal music.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). instrumental. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/instrumental/definitions/2022342 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "instrumental" http://smartdefine.org/instrumental/definitions/2022342 (accessed September 23, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, instrumental, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/instrumental/definitions/2022342>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "instrumental" 27 May 2011. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/instrumental/definitions/2022342> |