linchpin

Or lynch·pin

[linch-pin]

noun

1. a pin inserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on.

2. something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together.

   The monarchy was the linchpin of the nation's traditions and society.

linchpin

/ ˈlɪntʃˌpɪn /

noun

1. a pin placed transversely through an axle to keep a wheel in position

2. a person or thing regarded as an essential or coordinating element

   the linchpin of the company

Word History and Origins

Origin of linchpin¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; unexplained alteration of Middle English linpin, lynspin, equivalent to lyns, linch, lens, Old English lynis “axle-pin, axletree” (cognate with German Lünse ) + pin pin

Word History and Origins

Origin of linchpin¹

C14 lynspin, from Old English lynis

Example Sentences

The linchpin is the negotiation with bondholders, who will likely require higher interest rates and additional pledges for the extension, Zhang said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Gilligan also created “Pluribus” as a counterweight to the antihero era he helped define by contributing two unforgettable linchpins, Walter White and Saul Goodman.

Read more on Salon

Artificial intelligence has enormous computational and memory demands, which is why high-capacity, high-performance semiconductors are the linchpin of the AI build-out.

Read more on MarketWatch

TAP could be a linchpin for routes linking Europe and Latin America, prized for its access to the Latin American market, both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Germany is the linchpin to Europe’s rearmament,” says Otto Svendsen, an associate fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• essential 
• foundation 
• keystone 
• mainstay 
• pillar 

When To Use

What does linchpin mean?

A linchpin is the person or thing that serves as the essential element in a complicated or delicate system or structure—the one that holds everything together.This sense of linchpin is based on its original, literal meaning: an actual pin used to attach a wheel to the axle of a carriage or wagon to keep the wheel from falling off. It’s a good metaphor: a linchpin is someone or something that keeps the wheels from falling off of an operation—they keep the whole thing working. It can also be spelled lynchpin.Example: Their point guard wasn’t their main scorer, but she was the linchpin to the team’s success, and they started to lose a lot of games after she was injured.