instrumentality

American  

[in-struh-men-tal-i-tee] / ˌɪn strə mɛnˈtæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

instrumentalities

1. the quality or state of being instrumental.

2. the fact or function of serving some purpose.

3. a means or agency.

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Etymology

Origin of instrumentality

First recorded in 1645–55; instrumental + -ity

Example Sentences

This issue is more complicated than most, in large measure because the industry directly affected is already accustomed to being an instrumentality of the federal government.

From Washington Times • May 14, 2023

“They are a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the filing said, adding the discovery order was “an extraordinary infringement on the sovereignty of a foreign state.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2023

“There just never has been a criminal prosecution of a sovereign or its instrumentality anywhere,” she said, adding, “The world has been around for, like, 7,000 years, and no country has ever tried another country.”

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2023

“It doesn’t stand to reason that the legislature would have crafted a record-retention policy and exempted the one instrumentality of the state that the public has the most interest in knowing about.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2022

It is probable, therefore, that we shall find an instrumentality of this sort prompting us to morality.

From A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution by Williams, C. M.