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Definitions

instrument

[in-struh-muhnt] / ˈɪn strə mənt /
NOUN
tool, implement
Synonyms
STRONGEST
apparatus appliance device equipment gadget gear gizmo machine machinery mechanism
STRONG
contraption contrivance doodad paraphernalia tackle utensil
Antonyms
WEAK
end
NOUN
means, agent
Synonyms
STRONGEST
material mechanism medium organ vehicle
STRONG
agency channel factor force instrumentality ministry wherewithal
Antonyms
WEAK
end

Usage

What are other ways to say instrument? An instrument is anything used in doing a certain type of work or producing a certain result, especially such as requires delicacy, accuracy, or precision: surgical or musical instruments. A tool is a contrivance held in and worked by the hand, for assisting the work of (especially) mechanics or skilled laborers: a carpenter's tools. An implement is any tool or contrivance designed or used for a particular purpose: agricultural implements. A utensil is especially an article for domestic use: kitchen utensils. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is about what happened when a bunch of friends decided to start a band even though no one could really play an instrument.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

She added that the only comparable instrument was likely one made for Abbas II of Persia.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

These artists were also serious pianists, attuned, no matter which instrument they were using, to the qualities of rhythm, pattern and progression.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

It would take the unwinding of quantitative easing as an external constraint on its policy, rather than as an instrument of its policy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Using an instrument called a sextant, the navigator can measure the height of the star above the horizon.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Vocabulary lists containing instrument

Macbeth's "Is this a dagger..." soliloquy

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List 3

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John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

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