Instrumentalizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Using a person or thing merely as a means to an end, disregarding its worth ; shaping something into a tool or device that serves a particular purpose
2. Exploiting people or objects as instruments for a goal, often without regard for their own value ; converting something into a working instrument or apparatus
3. Treating someone as a convenient tool to achieve an aim ; fashioning an object into an implement or musical instrument for use

Etymology: The verb "instrumentalize" is built from "instrumental" plus the suffix "-ize", and the suffix has a longer trip into English than the base word does. It descends from the Ancient Greek "-izein", which Late Latin borrowed as "-izare", and from there it passed through Middle French "-iser" and Middle English "-isen" before settling into the modern "-ize" spelling. So the ending itself is a much older piece of machinery than the rest of the word. The base, "instrumental", comes from "instrument" and means "serving as a means or tool," which is the sense it keeps when people speak of music or of being instrumental in a result. Attaching "-ize" turns that adjective into an action: to treat someone or something merely as a tool for an end. The verb is a modern formation, so its meaning follows the sense of the adjective rather than any older use.

Synonyms: utilizing, exploiting, using

Antonyms: ignoring