instrumentální

Instrumentální is a term used in Czech and Slovak to denote both instrumental aspects and instrumental case. As an adjective, it means relating to instruments or to the instrumental category in grammar. The instrumental case, known as instrumentální pád in Czech, is one of the seven grammatical cases and is used to express means, instrument, or accompaniment, as in a sentence with a tool or method. In practice, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and some numerals may take instrumental forms.

In music, instrumentální refers to works performed by instruments rather than sung or spoken; it is used to distinguish instrumental pieces from vokální (vocal) pieces. An instrumentální skladba is an instrumental composition, and instrumentální hudba is instrumental music in general. The term is common in music criticism, education, and cataloging.

Etymology traces instrumentální to Latin instrumentum through Slavic languages, forming a widespread family of cognates such as Slovak instrumentálny or Polish instrumentalny. Beyond grammar and music, the term can describe means, resources, or methods used to achieve something, paralleling the English "instrumental" in phrases like instrumentální prostředky.

In many contexts, instrumentální functions as a label or descriptor and appears in dictionaries, grammars, and educational materials for Czech and Slovak. See also Instrumental case; Instrumental music; Czech grammar; Slovak grammar.