keyword

American  

[kee-wurd] / ˈkiˌwɜrd /

Or key word

noun

• keywords
  plural

1. a word that serves as a key, as to the meaning of another word, a sentence, passage, or the like.

2. a word used to encipher or decipher a cryptogram, as a pattern for a transposition procedure or the basis for a complex substitution.

3. Also called catchword. Library Science. a significant or memorable word or term in the title, abstract, or text of a document or other item being indexed, used as the index entry.

4. Digital Technology. a word used to classify or organize digital content, or to facilitate an online search for information.

   Search the database for the keyword “Ireland.”

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keyword British  

/ ˈkiːˌwɜːd /

noun

1. a word used as a key to a code

2. any significant word or phrase, esp a word used to describe the contents of a document

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• keywords
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of keyword

First recorded in 1855–60; key ¹ + word

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

keyword keywords

"Which keyword should I use to search for it on online platforms," another user asks.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

The company’s lighter flash models power AI Overviews and AI Mode, which allow search-engine users to perform complex queries in natural language — far surpassing the keyword matching and ranking techniques of previous generations.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

In one test, participants listened to lists of related words that were connected by a theme, but the central keyword tying them together was never spoken.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026

They said Sunday that they are alarmed that the government didn’t perform a basic keyword search of victim names to verify the success of its redaction process.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026

Many turned on funny tricks—a silly keyword, perhaps, or a pun.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Many big investment firms have developed automated systems to monitor Truth Social, detect important keywords and take action—often within a fraction of a second—such as initiating or canceling positions, traders said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Searching popular keywords like "citywalk" on the app brought up itineraries for the day, including where to eat and convenient routes from one attraction to another.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

The number of job postings with AI keywords almost doubled to 4.2% from July 2025 to March 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

She said despite removing certain keywords in settings on her Facebook and Instagram accounts, the bombardment of content continued for months after her miscarriages.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

“You might need to narrow things down. Do you have any other keywords you want to include?”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

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