rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryinstrumentalHelping bring about a result
adjective

instrumental

in-struh-MEN-tuhl/ˌɪnstrəˈmentl/

Serving as an important means of achieving a result.

The engineer's replacement gear is instrumental in getting the mechanism moving again.

An East Asian female engineer inserting the missing small gear into a disabled mechanism while two colleagues watch it start moving, her intervention clearly crucial.
Etymology
instrumentLatintool, means
+alLatinpertaining to

An instrument is a means of achieving an end. Someone or something instrumental serves that role figuratively, making an important contribution to bringing about a result.

In context

History Junkie12:03
Davy's lamp which proved to be more effective saw its first use in a county Durham Coal Mine in 1816 while the lamp was instrumental in Saving numerous lives
Unearthing the Past: Exploring Coal Mining in the British Industrial Revolution

More examples

  • Local volunteers were instrumental in keeping the shelter open.
  • Reliable transportation is instrumental to the program's success.
  • His testimony proved instrumental in winning the lawsuit.

Forms

instrumental

instrument noun — A means of achieving a particular result.

Similar words

helpful
Offers assistance without necessarily playing a major causal role.
crucial
Emphasizes necessity rather than a direct role in achieving results.
effective
Produces the intended result, rather than merely contributing to it.