Word Explorer

Key

/kiː/

An object designed to open and close a lock.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Key"

noun

1
An object designed to open and close a lock.
2
An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.
3
A crucial step or requirement.
"The key to solving this problem is persistence."
4
A guide explaining the symbols or terminology of a map or chart; a legend.
"The key says that A stands for the accounting department."

verb

1
To fit (a lock) with a key.
2
To fit (pieces of a mechanical assembly) with a key to maintain the orientation between them.
3
To mark or indicate with a symbol indicating membership in a class.
4
(telegraphy and radio telegraphy) To depress (a telegraph key).

adjective

1
Indispensable, supremely important.
"He is the key player on his soccer team."
2
Important, salient.
"She makes several key points."

🔄 Synonyms of "Key"

21 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
significantnoun	Having a noticeable or major effect.
cardinalnoun	Describing a “natural” number used to indicate quantity (e.g., zero, one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
fundamentalnoun	Essential; extremely important.
important	Having relevant and crucial value; having import.
operativenoun	Functional, in working order.
identifyverb	(transitive) To establish the identity of someone or something.
describeverb	(transitive) To represent in words.
primalnoun	Of greatest importance; primary.
distinguishverb	To recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics.
namenoun	Any nounal word or phrase which indicates a particular person, place, class, or thing.
tonalitynoun	(music) The system of seven tones built on a tonic key; the 24 major and minor scales.
of import	of great significance or value
caynoun	A small, low island largely made of sand or coral.
windernoun	A textile worker, or machine, that winds cloth.
kilonoun	Clipping of kilogram. [In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ when expressed in units of kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹. Symbol: kg]
kilogramnoun	In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ when expressed in units of kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹. Symbol: kg
key outverb	(transitive) To remove (something) or make (something) transparent in a scene through the use of a chromakey.
centralnoun	Being very important, or key to something.
discoververb	(transitive) To find or learn something for the first time.
florida keysnoun	A coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida.
kgnoun	(India) Abbreviation of kindergarten. [(Canada, US, Australia, India) An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; nursery school.]

↔️ Antonyms of "Key"

Words with the opposite meaning.

Word	Definition
atonalitynoun	(uncountable, music) A style of music that is written without a key.
atonalismnoun	The school of atonal musical composition

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Key"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
windernoun	A textile worker, or machine, that winds cloth.
kilonoun	Clipping of kilogram. [In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ when expressed in units of kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹. Symbol: kg]
kilogramnoun	In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ when expressed in units of kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹. Symbol: kg
centralnoun	Being very important, or key to something.
kgnoun	(India) Abbreviation of kindergarten. [(Canada, US, Australia, India) An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; nursery school.]
discoververb	(transitive) To find or learn something for the first time.
operativenoun	Functional, in working order.
describeverb	(transitive) To represent in words.
identifyverb	(transitive) To establish the identity of someone or something.
namenoun	Any nounal word or phrase which indicates a particular person, place, class, or thing.
significantnoun	Having a noticeable or major effect.
fundamentalnoun	Essential; extremely important.
primalnoun	Of greatest importance; primary.
cardinalnoun	Describing a “natural” number used to indicate quantity (e.g., zero, one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
important	Having relevant and crucial value; having import.
distinguishverb	To recognize someone or something as different from others based on its characteristics.
tonalitynoun	(music) The system of seven tones built on a tonic key; the 24 major and minor scales.
caynoun	A small, low island largely made of sand or coral.
florida keysnoun	A coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida.
key outverb	(transitive) To remove (something) or make (something) transparent in a scene through the use of a chromakey.