keynote

1 of 2

noun

key·​note ˈkē-ˌnōt 

1

: the fundamental or central fact, idea, or mood

sadness is the keynote of this little collection

—Books Abroad

One keynote of his mind has been his interest in deceit, his perceptions about the use of flimflam in modern life …

—Stanley Kauffmann

2

music : the first and harmonically fundamental tone of a scale

3

: keynote address

Following Tuesday morning's keynote, sessions progress through all areas.

—Jim Rosenberg

Sprinting from workshops to motivational keynotes featuring famous faces and wannabes, I came away inspired and armed with information …

—Peggy Klaus

keynote

2 of 2

verb

keynoted; keynoting; keynotes

transitive verb

1

: to deliver the keynote address at

2

: to set the keynote of

keynoter noun

Synonyms

Noun

• heart
• core
• essence
• root
• point
• kernel
• gist

Examples of keynote in a Sentence

Noun

Humor is the keynote of the play.

the need for a greater sense of self-reliance is the keynote of his self-help message

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That’s why modern CEOs invest in building a strong digital presence from LinkedIn posts to leadership newsletters to keynotes on big stages. —Maha Abouelenein, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

One of technology's most buzzworthy emergent fields, quantum computing, was a top conversation for IBM CEO Arvind Krishna's keynote at SXSW on Tuesday afternoon. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Verb

This year, Buterin keynoted Ethereum’s flagship conference at the Palais des Festivals — the same red carpet venue that hosts movie stars each spring. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2025

Content creator Dhar Mann and Bell Media President Sean Cohan will keynote the 2026 editions, which will take place at the InterContinental Miami from February 2-6. —Peter White, Deadline, 9 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing keynote

• keynote address
• keynote speaker

Rhymes for keynote

• afloat
• azote
• banknote
• bareboat
• benzoate
• connote
• cutthroat
• demote
• denote
• devote
• endnote
• footnote

Kids Definition

keynote

1 of 2 noun

key·​note ˈkē-ˌnōt 

1

: the first and harmonically fundamental tone of a scale

2

: the fundamental or central fact, idea, or mood

humor is the keynote of the play

keynote

2 of 2 verb

1

: to set the keynote of

2

: to give the keynote address at

keynoted the convention

keynoter noun