instrumentality

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English

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Etymology

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From instrumental +‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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instrumentality (countable and uncountable, plural instrumentalities)

  1. (uncountable) The condition or quality of being instrumental; being useful; serving a purpose.
  2. (countable) Something that is instrumental; an instrument.
    • 1838, American Anti-Slavery Society, The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 2 of 4[1]:
      He spoke of the various instrumentalities which were now employed for the conversion of the world.
    • 1873, Helen Hunt Jackson, Bits About Home Matters[2]:
      Delays and failures will only set her to casting about for new instrumentalities.
    • 1914, Samuel F. B. Morse, Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals[3]:
      God works by instrumentalities, and he has wonderfully thus far interposed in keeping evils that I feared in abeyance.
  3. (countable, law) A governmental organ with a specific purpose.

Translations

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