instrumental
gb/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl/ us/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl/
B2
English
~ 8300
kulcsszerepet játszik, kulcsfontosságú, meghatározó, instrumentális, hangszeres, ének nélküli, instrumentális zeneszám, instrumentális változat, zenei alap, eszközhatározói
B2
1
Usage pattern:
be instrumental in [doing something]
Her research was instrumental in developing the new vaccine.
Kutatása kulcsszerepet játszott az új vakcina kifejlesztésében.
Good communication is instrumental in building trust within a team.
A jó kommunikáció kulcsfontosságú a bizalom kiépítésében egy csapaton belül.
The lawyer was instrumental in securing his release from prison.
Foreign investment has been instrumental in the country’s rapid growth.
Learner examples
My teacher was instrumental in my decision to study medicine.
A tanárom kulcsszerepet játszott abban, hogy úgy döntöttem, orvosnak tanulok.
The internet was instrumental in the success of the small company.
Az internet kulcsszerepet játszott a kisvállalat sikerében.
His advice was instrumental in helping me find a new job.
Clear goals are instrumental in reaching your dreams.
Common mistake:
Learners often say *instrumental for* instead of *instrumental in*. The usual pattern is: *be instrumental in doing something* or *be instrumental in something*, not *for*. Another confusion is thinking *instrumental* here always relates to music; in this sense it means 'very important in causing something'.
Meaning
crucial in making something happen
Collocations
be instrumental in
|instrumental role
|instrumental factor
|instrumental support
Synonyms
pivotal (Stresses central importance at a key point or stage.)
|
crucial (Highlights that something is extremely important or necessary for success.)
|
key (Everyday, slightly less formal way to say very important.)
Antonyms
irrelevant (Suggests having no real effect or connection with the result.)
|
minor (Suggests playing only a small or unimportant part.)
Themes
success
|achievement
|business
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very important in making something happen.
Serving as a very important means or agent in causing something to happen or succeed.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
instrumental [noun]
The film’s emotional scenes are supported by gentle instrumental music.
A film érzelmes jeleneteit lágy instrumentális zene kíséri.
They released an instrumental version of the hit single for karaoke.
Kiadták a sláger instrumentális változatát karaoke céljára.
I like to play instrumental tracks while I study.
The album includes both vocal and instrumental pieces.
Learner examples
I listen to instrumental music when I work.
Munka közben instrumentális zenét hallgatok.
The singer shared an instrumental version of her new song.
Az énekesnő megosztotta új dalának instrumentális változatát.
This movie has a very beautiful instrumental soundtrack.
He prefers instrumental tracks because they help him focus.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *instrumental song* for a track without singing. While used informally, many speakers prefer *instrumental track* or simply *an instrumental* for clarity.
Meaning
music played only on instruments
Collocations
instrumental music
|instrumental track
|instrumental version
|instrumental piece
|instrumental arrangement
Synonyms
non-vocal (More technical; clearly contrasts with vocal music.)
|
wordless (Emphasizes the lack of sung words rather than the instruments themselves.)
Antonyms
vocal (Refers specifically to music that includes singing.)
Themes
music
|entertainment
|media
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Made with musical instruments and no singing.
Relating to or performed using musical instruments only, without singing.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
an instrumental [noun]
The DJ played an instrumental before the rapper came on stage.
A DJ lejátszott egy instrumentális zeneszámot, mielőtt a rapper színpadra lépett.
I like this song, but I prefer the instrumental because it highlights the piano.
Tetszik ez a dal, de jobban szeretem az instrumentális változatát, mert abban jobban érvényesül a zongora.
They used a soft piano instrumental as background music in the restaurant.
The producer released the instrumentals from the album for other artists to use.
Learner examples
Can you send me the instrumental of this song?
El tudod küldeni ennek a dalnak az instrumentális változatát?
We need a calm instrumental for our video.
Szükségünk van egy nyugodt instrumentális zeneszámra a videónkhoz.
This instrumental is perfect for studying.
The band played an instrumental between the songs.
Common mistake:
Learners may say *a music* instead of *a piece of music* or *an instrumental*. When talking about one track with no singing, *an instrumental* is natural and countable.
Meaning
music track with no singing
Collocations
an instrumental
|a jazz instrumental
|hip-hop instrumental
|instrumental remix
|instrumental soundtrack
Synonyms
instrumental track (Spells out that it is a recorded track; slightly more technical or specific.)
Antonyms
vocal track (Specifically refers to a recording with singing, contrasting with an instrumental.)
Themes
music
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A song or music track with only instruments and no singing.
A piece or track of music that is performed using only instruments, without any singing.
C2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
instrumental [noun]
In Russian, the instrumental case is used after certain prepositions.
Az oroszban bizonyos elöljárószók után az instrumentális esetet használják.
The noun takes an instrumental ending when it expresses the means of the action.
A főnév instrumentális végződést kap, amikor a cselekvés eszközét fejezi ki.
Students often confuse the genitive and instrumental forms in Polish.
This textbook includes a detailed explanation of the instrumental case.
Learner examples
In this language, you use the instrumental case after this preposition.
Ebben a nyelvben ez után az elöljárószó után instrumentális esetet kell használni.
The teacher showed us how to make the instrumental form of the noun.
A tanár megmutatta, hogyan kell képezni a főnév instrumentális alakját.
We did exercises to practice the instrumental endings.
I find the instrumental case harder than the nominative case.
Common mistake:
Learners may think *instrumental* here is about music. In grammar, *instrumental* refers to a case that shows the tool, means, or partner in some languages, not to instruments in a band.
Meaning
about the instrumental grammatical case
Collocations
instrumental case
|instrumental form
|instrumental ending
|instrumental singular
|instrumental plural
Synonyms
instrumental-case (Hyphenated form used attributively in some technical grammar writing.)
Antonyms
nominative (Names a different grammatical case, often contrasted with the instrumental in descriptions of case systems.)
Themes
grammar
|linguistics
|education
|communication
Definition
About a special grammar case that shows the tool or thing used to do an action in some languages.
Relating to a grammatical case that typically expresses the means, tool, or instrument by which an action is performed.
Grammar
Dictionary form
instrumental
IPA
GB/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl/
US/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl/
Syllables & stress
in - stru - ment - al (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ment)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: instrumental
Word family
Core family
instrument
noun A2
Related words
instrumentally
adverb
instrumentalist
noun
Advanced or less common
instrumentation
noun B2
Expressions
be instrumental in
1/bˈi ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl ˈɪn/
fixed phrase
be very important in causing something
To play a very important part in making something happen.
Examples
- Her leadership was instrumental in turning the company around.
- Local volunteers were instrumental in organizing the festival.
- These early experiments were instrumental in the development of modern physics.
instrumental case
1/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl kˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
technical
grammar case for means or instrument
A special grammar form in some languages that shows the tool, means, or partner used to do an action.
Examples
- In Czech, the instrumental case is used after certain prepositions.
- The textbook has exercises on the instrumental case in Russian.
instrumental music
1/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl mjˈuzɪk/
fixed phrase
music with only instruments
Music that is played only with instruments and has no singing.
Examples
- I like to study while listening to soft instrumental music.
- The restaurant plays jazz instrumental music in the evenings.
instrumental role
1/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl ɹˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
very important role in something
A role that is very important in making something happen.
Examples
- Education plays an instrumental role in reducing poverty.
- Social media had an instrumental role in spreading the news quickly.
instrumental version
1/ˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəl vˈɚʒən/
fixed phrase
song recording with no vocals
A recording of a song that has only the instruments and no singing.
Examples
- They released an instrumental version of the song for karaoke.
- The movie uses an instrumental version of the band’s biggest hit.