# instrumental

/ˌɪnstɹəˈmɛnəɫ/ (US) · /ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/instrumental
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. essential or helpful

adjective · CEFR B2 · Academic

to be very important in helping something to happen.

For teachers: serving as a crucial means, agent, or medium in achieving a specific result or objective.

- She was instrumental in helping the company win the new contract.
- The diplomat was instrumental in brokering the peace treaty, spending months mediating between the two opposing factions.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'in' followed by a gerund or noun phrase.

### 2. music without singing

adjective · CEFR B1

music that is played only by instruments, without any people singing.

For teachers: pertaining to, composed for, or performed by musical instruments rather than the human voice.

- The album includes several instrumental tracks that are great for studying.
- The composer decided to remove the lyrics, transforming the ballad into a purely instrumental piece for the cello and piano.

### 3. grammar case

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

related to a grammar form that shows how something is done or what tool is used.

For teachers: relating to a grammatical case that expresses means, agency, or the instrument used to perform an action.

- In some languages, you use the instrumental case to say you are writing with a pen.
- The student struggled to distinguish between the dative and instrumental endings when translating the ancient text.

Teaching tip: This is a highly technical term used in linguistics; most general learners will only encounter it if studying inflected languages like Russian or Latin.

### 4. a song without words

noun · CEFR B1

a piece of music that has no singing.

For teachers: a musical composition or recording intended to be performed without vocal accompaniment.

- The radio played an instrumental of the hit song while the news was starting.
- The B-side of the single featured a jazz instrumental that showcased the lead guitarist's technical proficiency.

## Examples

- She was instrumental in winning the contract for our team.
- The local community was instrumental in raising the funds needed to repair the historic library.
- While many factors contributed to the treaty's success, her diplomatic skill proved instrumental in bridging the gap between the two opposing factions during the final hours of negotiation.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.