Synonyms of kernel

kernel

noun

ˈkər-nᵊl 

as in root

the central part or aspect of something under consideration

the kernel of your argument seems to be the inevitability of human migration into space

Synonyms & Similar Words

• root
• core
• essence
• heart
• meat
• point
• nucleus
• sum
• pith
• bottom line
• crux
• gist
• pivot
• sum and substance
• nub
• net
• keynote
• centerpiece
• meat and potatoes
• theme
• subject
• nubbin
• tenor
• bull's-eye
• the long and short
• content
• substance
• direction
• body
• course
• drift
• thesis
• hypothesis
• proposition
• purport

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of kernel

Testing fuel layer by layer TRISO, or tristructural isotropic fuel, uses a fuel kernel surrounded by multiple coating layers. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

The grain is smaller than wheat, for example, and farmers and researchers are still finding the best ways to adapt farm equipment so the kernel isn't damaged during harvest. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Tiess explains that every kernel on an ear of corn develops its own strand of silk, which acts as the pathway for pollen during fertilization. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026

Adults is almost always at its best when there’s a method to the madness, a kernel of earnestness at the heart of it all. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026