Definition of instrumentnext
1
as in certificate
a written or printed paper giving information about or proof of something a valid will is a legal instrument

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
3
4
as in pawn
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another the claim that the scientists are mere instruments of the tobacco companies, who pay them to produce findings that are highly suspect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word instrument different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of instrument are appliance, implement, tool, and utensil. While all these words mean "a relatively simple device for performing work," instrument suggests a device capable of delicate or precise work.

the dentist's instruments

When can appliance be used instead of instrument?

The words appliance and instrument can be used in similar contexts, but appliance refers to a tool or instrument utilizing a power source and suggests portability or temporary attachment.

household appliances

When could implement be used to replace instrument?

While the synonyms implement and instrument are close in meaning, implement may apply to anything necessary to perform a task.

crude stone implements
farm implements

How are the words tool and implement related as synonyms of instrument?

Tool suggests an implement adapted to facilitate a definite kind or stage of work and suggests the need of skill more strongly than implement.

a carpenter's tools

When is utensil a more appropriate choice than instrument?

The synonyms utensil and instrument are sometimes interchangeable, but utensil applies to a device used in domestic work or some routine unskilled activity.

kitchen utensils

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instrument Case owned one of the few pianos in town, and the instrument greatly fascinated Powell. Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026 From when sound was first introduced, there was incredible pushback from all the people playing usable instruments. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 May 2026 The Bank for International Settlements has long scrutinized stablecoins regarding the singleness of money, questioning whether these instruments can reliably be redeemed at par under market stress. Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 Gaspar-Oliveri’s focus on the body as the instrument of communication is the foundation of every scene and the meaning one can mine from them. Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for instrument
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrument
Noun
  • In 2019, he was granted a certificate of innocence.
    Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 May 2026
  • He was released after 26 years in prison when special prosecutors dropped charges against him in December 2018, and won a certificate of innocence four months later.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Maybe a computer was a new tool for understanding poetry.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • So Amrik taught Rai to cherish his tools and treat them with the utmost care.
    Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • Issued by the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a state instrumentality created under the Wyoming Stable Token Act (2023), FRNT is fully reserved and managed in partnership with Franklin Templeton.
    Jason Brett, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Holding the weight of cotton’s influence on the world, and thus the instrumentality of Black labor, is painful, yet necessary work.
    Cierra Black, Essence, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Even everyday household items—including coffee makers, crockpots and blenders—are showing up at pawn counters.
    ByBryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • Nearly 30 guns were stolen from an Overland Park pawn shop in a Sunday morning burglary, and authorities are offering thousands of dollars in reward money for information about the incident.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • She was further accused of writing prescriptions without the proper education, credentials and certifications and of submitting fraudulent Medicaid claims.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
  • Word of mouth is often the best way, along with reviews and board certifications.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • That data only reflects damage caused by airstrikes, drone attacks and remote and improvised explosive device, or IED, explosions.
    Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 13 May 2026
  • That question can save you from buying a device for a future feature that may arrive much later than expected.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • The rooms The rooms here were last renovated in 2017—just a hair earlier than Four Seasons One Dalton Street’s rooms, which opened in 2019, but are by no means old or inferior.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 May 2026
  • Some viewers even felt its liberal use of absurdity in fact grounded the show in the real world compared to the high-minded weepies on daytime, achieving honesty through nontraditional means.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • As the Biden Administration introduced generous subsidies for investing in certain technologies, such as semiconductors and electric vehicles, construction spending in manufacturing more than tripled.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • Davis urged residents not to leave keys or key fobs inside vehicles.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Instrument.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrument. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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