INSTRUMENTALITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does instrumentality mean? 

• INSTRUMENTALITY (noun)
  The noun INSTRUMENTALITY has 3 senses:

1. a subsidiary organ of government created for a special purpose

2. the quality of being instrumental for some purpose

3. an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end

  Familiarity information: INSTRUMENTALITY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INSTRUMENTALITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A subsidiary organ of government created for a special purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

he studied the French instrumentalities for law enforcement

Hypernyms ("instrumentality" is a kind of...):

social unit; unit (an organization regarded as part of a larger social group)

Holonyms ("instrumentality" is a part of...):

government department (a department of government)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of being instrumental for some purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("instrumentality" is a kind of...):

usefulness; utility (the quality of being of practical use)

Derivation:

instrumental (serving or acting as a means or aid)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

instrumentality; instrumentation

Hypernyms ("instrumentality" is a kind of...):

artefact; artifact (a man-made object taken as a whole)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "instrumentality"):

ceramic (an artifact made of hard brittle material produced from nonmetallic minerals by firing at high temperatures)

connecter; connection; connective; connector; connexion (an instrumentality that connects)

container (any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another))

conveyance; transport (something that serves as a means of transportation)

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

equipment (an instrumentality needed for an undertaking or to perform a service)

furnishing ((usually plural) the instrumentalities (furniture and appliances and other movable accessories including curtains and rugs) that make a home (or other area) livable)

hardware; ironware (instrumentalities (tools or implements) made of metal)

implement (instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end)

means (an instrumentality for accomplishing some end)

system (instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity)

toilet articles; toiletry (artifacts used in making your toilet (washing and taking care of your body))

arms; implements of war; munition; weaponry; weapons system (weapons considered collectively)

medium (a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information)

Derivation:

instrumental (serving or acting as a means or aid)