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Showing results for instrument.
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.

Artemis 2 astronaut Victor Glover, who pilots the Orion spacecraft, said before liftoff this week that eyes were a "magical instrument."

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

More than 50 years after humans first flew around the Moon, Artemis astronauts will repeat the feat on Monday and use the most basic instrument to study it: their eyes.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

To better understand the host galaxy, Sears led follow-up observations using Webb's NIRCam, its main near-infrared imaging instrument, several months after the event.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

“Getting $4 billion for the SV-F route from a speculative financial instrument is just a Hail Mary pass,” a member of the Beverly Grove neighborhood association said in public comments.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

He’d been the first investor to diagnose the disorder in the American financial system in early 2003: the extension of credit by instrument.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.