keynote

[ kee-noht ]

/ ˈkiˌnoʊt /

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See synonyms for: keynote / keynotes on Thesaurus.com

noun

Music. the note or tone on which a key or system of tones is founded; the tonic.

the main idea or central principle of a speech, program, thought, action, etc.

the policy line to be followed, as by a party in a political campaign, that is set forth authoritatively in advance by an address or other formal announcement.

keynote address.

verb (used with object), key·not·ed, key·not·ing.

to announce the policy of (a political party, campaign, assembly, etc.); deliver a keynote address at: The governor will keynote the convention.

to serve as the keynote for.

Music. to give the keynote of.

verb (used without object), key·not·ed, key·not·ing.

to provide a keynote, especially a keynote address: He refused an invitation to keynote.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of keynote

First recorded in 1755–65; key¹ + note

Words nearby keynote

key money, Keynes, Keynesian, Keynesian economics, Keynes, John Maynard, keynote, keynote address, keynoter, keypad, keypal, key plate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use keynote in a sentence

Check out the agenda, including an eye-opening keynote from our new Director of Search Content, Carolyn Lynden, dedicated SEO and PPC learning journeys, Overtime live Q&A, and more.
SMX Early Bird rates expire Saturday… book now and save|Lauren Donovan|February 1, 2021|Search Engine Land
CES 2021 is still happening — without Vegas, crowds, prototypes or germsSamsung’s CES keynote presentation, a half-hour video, calls its focus a “Better Normal for All.”
CES goes full pandemic with smart masks, stickers to detect covid and the biggest WiFi update in years|Geoffrey Fowler, Heather Kelly, Dalvin Brown, Rachel Lerman|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
At the 2021 show, Verizon takes the stop spot for the keynote and Samsung will be announcing its new 5G-enabled devices at an event after the show.
CES trends to look out for at this year’s virtual conference|Stan Horaczek|January 6, 2021|Popular-Science
In her keynote, Zuboff suggested EU regulators should follow two key principles as they consider what to do.
Europe urged to block Google-Fitbit ahead of major digital policy overhaul|Natasha Lomas|December 11, 2020|TechCrunch

Make diversity in your speaker line-ups and keynotes a top priority.
10 ways you can support women in SEO|Abby Reimer|November 24, 2020|Search Engine Land
I flew to Peru to hear her give a keynote speech at an international conference.
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To this end, CAIR has invited Rev. Al Sharpton to be the keynote speaker at its 20th anniversary dinner to be held next month.
Michael Brown, Gaza, and Muslim Americans|Dean Obeidallah|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You may not remember, but you were our commencement keynote speaker that day at the George Washington University National Center.
An Open Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder: It’s Not About Race|Ron Christie|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Pence, who was slated to keynote this conference in just a few minutes?
Mike Pence, Dark Horse in Training for 2016|David Freedlander|June 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a soaring star from the moment he finished his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
No One’s Going to Challenge Hillary Clinton|Robert Shrum|May 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Daring ambition rather than any merely abstract virtue was the keynote of her character.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
These are the keynote of the great Republic, dominating all other chords, sacrificing harmony to noise, beauty to bulk.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
The keynote is the oath which, in all ages and in all languages, passion seems to generate with but very little assistance.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman
That song had been the keynote to her new life, and it seemed now as if it were also to be the final benediction.
When Valmond Came to Pontiac, Complete|Gilbert Parker
This humanity of Holbach's is the very keynote of his character and of his intellectual life as well.
Baron d'Holbach|Max Pearson Cushing

British Dictionary definitions for keynote

keynote

/ (ˈkiːˌnəʊt) /

noun

a central or determining principle in a speech, literary work, etc
(as modifier)a keynote speech

the note upon which a scale or key is based; tonic

verb (tr)

to deliver a keynote address to (a political convention, etc)

to outline (political issues, policy, etc) in or as in a keynote address

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

keynote

Origin of keynote

Words nearby keynote

Words related to keynote

How to use keynote in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for keynote