keynote

1 of 2

noun

key·​note ˈkē-ˌnōt 

1

: the fundamental or central fact, idea, or mood

sadness is the keynote of this little collection

—Books Abroad

One keynote of his mind has been his interest in deceit, his perceptions about the use of flimflam in modern life …

—Stanley Kauffmann

2

music : the first and harmonically fundamental tone of a scale

3

: keynote address

Following Tuesday morning's keynote, sessions progress through all areas.

—Jim Rosenberg

Sprinting from workshops to motivational keynotes featuring famous faces and wannabes, I came away inspired and armed with information …

—Peggy Klaus

keynote

2 of 2

verb

keynoted; keynoting; keynotes

transitive verb

1

: to deliver the keynote address at

2

: to set the keynote of

keynoter noun

Synonyms

Noun

• bottom line
• bull's-eye
• centerpiece
• core
• crux
• essence
• gist
• heart
• kernel
• meat
• meat and potatoes
• net
• nub
• nubbin
• nucleus
• pith
• pivot
• point
• root
• sum

Examples of keynote in a Sentence

Noun

Humor is the keynote of the play.

the need for a greater sense of self-reliance is the keynote of his self-help message

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some of the topics in keynote discussions will come from major cinematographers, talent agencies, and other sessions on using the latest tech, advances in animation, film scoring, and navigating music rights. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024

Her keynote slide captured one of the most arresting numbers of the day: that 2028 number implies a CAGR above 60% over a six-year period. —Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Verb

Trump has received more than $4 million in virtual tokens, an FEC filing shows, and in July, the ex-president keynoted a major bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2024

Paramount’s Dan Cohen To Keynote MIPCOM Paramount Global Chief Licensing Officer Dan Cohen will keynote MIPCOM Cannes in October. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing keynote

• keynote address
• keynote speaker

Kids Definition

keynote

1 of 2 noun

key·​note ˈkē-ˌnōt 

1

: the first and harmonically fundamental tone of a scale

2

: the fundamental or central fact, idea, or mood

humor is the keynote of the play

keynote

2 of 2 verb

1

: to set the keynote of

2

: to give the keynote address at

keynoted the convention

keynoter noun