instrumentation
noun
in·stru·men·ta·tion
ˌin(t)-strə-mən-ˈtā-shən 
-ˌmen-
1
: the arrangement or composition of music for instruments especially for a band or orchestra
2
: the use or application of instruments (as for observation, measurement, or control)
3
: instruments for a particular purpose
also
: a selection or arrangement of instruments
Examples of instrumentation in a Sentence
There was a problem with the airplane's instrumentation.
Recent Examples on the Web
At his peak, Rich Harrison was an unstoppable percussive force, lacing artists like Amerie and Beyoncé with breathless, stars-shooting instrumentation for some of their greatest hits.
—
Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Her own instrumentation is her iconoclastic blend of classic and contemporary vocabulary oscillating between presentational formality and pedestrian nonchalance.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
The song brims with defiance, melded with Jinks’s classic country-rock instrumentation and the burly, world-weary vocal that has become his calling card.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2025
The quintet collides influences — flourishes of glitchy industrial electronic flourishes, lonesome country-western instrumentation, ornate chamber pop — and tinker with all sorts of pop-rock conventions.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumentation
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Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Her own instrumentation is her iconoclastic blend of classic and contemporary vocabulary oscillating between presentational formality and pedestrian nonchalance.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
The song brims with defiance, melded with Jinks’s classic country-rock instrumentation and the burly, world-weary vocal that has become his calling card.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2025
The quintet collides influences — flourishes of glitchy industrial electronic flourishes, lonesome country-western instrumentation, ornate chamber pop — and tinker with all sorts of pop-rock conventions.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instrumentation
Cite this Entry
“Instrumentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrumentation. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instrumentation
noun
in·stru·men·ta·tion
ˌin(t)-strə-mən-ˈtā-shən
-ˌmen-
1
: the arrangement or composition of music for instruments
2
: instruments for a particular purpose
the instrumentation of an aircraft
Medical Definition
instrumentation
noun
in·stru·men·ta·tion
ˌin(t)-strə-mən-ˈtā-shən, -ˌmen-
: a use of or operation with instruments
especially
: the use of one or more instruments in treating a patient (as in the passing of a cystoscope)
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