instrumental

IPA: ɪnstrʌmˈɛntʌɫ

(grammar) The instrumental case.
(music) A composition written or performed without lyrics or singing, using a lead instrument to replace vocals.

Essential or central; of great importance or relevance.
Serving as an instrument, medium, means, or agency.
(music) Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for an instrument, especially a musical instrument (rather than the human voice).
(grammar) Applied to a case expressing means or agency, generally indicated in English by by or with with the objective.

Examples of "instrumental" in Sentences

(Finally, I know why that instrumental is called "YYZ.")
O'Neill (2000) situates the Kantian account of reason against three alternatives, which she labels the instrumental, the communitarian, and the perfectionist.
The term instrumental rationality is used because the definition views the actor as pursuing goals, to which he or she is committed for reasons irrelevant to the definition.
Composed for sampler (Gosfield), wailing guitar (Roger Kleier), and virtuoso drums/percussion (Joe Berardi), the musical feel was of a powerful but cruder variation of the above Sparks, this time in a rock-inflected, heavy metal style, like a long Grateful Dead instrumental from the 70's pounding relentlessly to conclusion.