keynote

American  

[kee-noht] / ˈkiˌnoʊt /

noun

keynotes plural

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

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

3. 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.

4. keynote address.

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verb (used with object)

keynoted, keynoting

1. to announce the policy of (a political party, campaign, assembly, etc.); deliver a keynote address at.

   The governor will keynote the convention.

2. to serve as the keynote for.

3. Music. to give the keynote of.

verb (used without object)

keynoted, keynoting

1. to provide a keynote, especially a keynote address.

   He refused an invitation to keynote.

keynote British  

/ ˈkiːˌnəʊt /

noun

1. 1. a central or determining principle in a speech, literary work, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a keynote speech

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

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verb

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

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• keynotes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of keynote

First recorded in 1755–65; key ¹ + note

Explanation

A keynote is "the leading note in a musical key," and that meaning has spread to include the leading theme or idea in almost anything. For example, a keynote speaker at a conference includes this central subject in her speech. You're most likely to find the word keynote followed by "speech," "address," or "speaker." The central keynote theme is often presented right at the beginning of a conference or seminar. Another meaning of keynote is "the leading note in a musical key." When you play a scale on the piano, the first, lowest, note is the keynote. This musical meaning dates from the mid-1700s, and the phrase "keynote address" was first used in 1905.

Example Sentences

The trial, called Keynote, involved 192 hospitals in 24 countries, was led by Washington University Medical School in St Louis and funded by drug company MSD.

From BBC • May 30, 2025

Apple’s iCloud-based office software suite of Pages, Numbers and Keynote allows collaboration, as does the Google Docs, Sheets and Slides software that stores your files on Google Drive.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2023

How to watch MS Build 2022 Keynote and Sessions If you want to attend any sessions, then register for free here.

From The Verge • May 24, 2022

Keynote speaker Richard Florida, a leading scholar of cities and author of such books as “The Rise of the Creative Class,” told the audience that “cities are far stronger than infectious disease” going back centuries.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2022

Keynote: As a musical term, keynote identifies the “key” of a piece.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin