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The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.
Peter Abelard

Meaning of "key" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD KEY

Old English cǣg; related to Old Frisian kēi, Middle Low German keie spear.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF KEY

key  [kiː] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF KEY

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Key is a verb and can also act as a noun and an adjective.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb key in English.

WHAT DOES KEY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of key in the English dictionary

The first definition of key in the dictionary is a metal instrument, usually of a specifically contoured shape, that is made to fit a lock and, when rotated, operates the lock's mechanism. Other definition of key is any instrument that is rotated to operate a valve, clock winding mechanism, etc. Key is also a small metal peg or wedge inserted into keyways.


CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO KEY

PRESENT

Present
I key
you key
he/she/it keys
we key
you key
they key
Present continuous
I am keying
you are keying
he/she/it is keying
we are keying
you are keying
they are keying
Present perfect
I have keyed
you have keyed
he/she/it has keyed
we have keyed
you have keyed
they have keyed
Present perfect continuous
I have been keying
you have been keying
he/she/it has been keying
we have been keying
you have been keying
they have been keying
Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past
I keyed
you keyed
he/she/it keyed
we keyed
you keyed
they keyed
Past continuous
I was keying
you were keying
he/she/it was keying
we were keying
you were keying
they were keying
Past perfect
I had keyed
you had keyed
he/she/it had keyed
we had keyed
you had keyed
they had keyed
Past perfect continuous
I had been keying
you had been keying
he/she/it had been keying
we had been keying
you had been keying
they had been keying
Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future
I will key
you will key
he/she/it will key
we will key
you will key
they will key
Future continuous
I will be keying
you will be keying
he/she/it will be keying
we will be keying
you will be keying
they will be keying
Future perfect
I will have keyed
you will have keyed
he/she/it will have keyed
we will have keyed
you will have keyed
they will have keyed
Future perfect continuous
I will have been keying
you will have been keying
he/she/it will have been keying
we will have been keying
you will have been keying
they will have been keying
The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional
I would key
you would key
he/she/it would key
we would key
you would key
they would key
Conditional continuous
I would be keying
you would be keying
he/she/it would be keying
we would be keying
you would be keying
they would be keying
Conditional perfect
I would have key
you would have key
he/she/it would have key
we would have key
you would have key
they would have key
Conditional perfect continuous
I would have been keying
you would have been keying
he/she/it would have been keying
we would have been keying
you would have been keying
they would have been keying
Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative
you key
we let´s key
you key
The imperative is used to form commands or requests.
NONFINITE VERB FORMS
Infinitive
to key
Past participle
keyed
Present Participle
keying
Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE KEY

kex
key card
key drive
key fruit
key grip
key in
key light
key money
key move
key player
key punch
key ring
key signature
key stage
key up
key worker
key-bugle
key-man assurance
key-punch
keyboard

WORDS THAT END LIKE KEY

Ashley
attorney
bailey
Bentley
Disney
grey
hey
hockey
honey
jersey
journey
money
New Jersey
on the money
peavey
survey
Sydney
they
turkey
valley

Synonyms and antonyms of key in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «KEY»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «key» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of key

Translation of «key» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF KEY

Find out the translation of key to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of key from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «key» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

按键
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

clave
570 millions of speakers

English

key
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

कुंजी
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

مِفْتَاحٌ
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

клавиша
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

tecla
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

চাবি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

touche
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kunci
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Taste
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

キー
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Tombol
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

phím
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

முக்கிய
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

की
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

anahtar
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

tasto
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

klawisz
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

клавіша
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

tastă
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

πλήκτρο
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

sleutel
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

knapp
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

tangent
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of key

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «KEY»

The term «key» is very widely used and occupies the 1.141 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
98
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «key» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of key
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «key».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «KEY» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «key» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «key» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about key

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «KEY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word key.
1
Peter Abelard
The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.
2
John Abizaid
I think you also understand that one of the key things that's got to be done in Iraq is to build a mentality of understanding that the military needs to be subordinate to civilian control and respectful of its own people.
3
David Agus
Much in the way Olympic athletes optimize their game by paying an enormous - borderline maniacal - amount of attention to things like diet, exercise, sleep, and of course the essential R&R, we all would do well to pay more attention to those key aspects of our lives that comprise our overall health equation.
4
Reza Aslan
It is no exaggeration to say that Syria holds the key for nearly all of America's foreign policy goals in the Middle East. As Syria goes, so goes the region.
5
Richard Attias
In the organization of any major sporting event or the planning of a building, long-term thinking is key.
6
Neal Boortz
The key to accepting responsibility for your life is to accept the fact that your choices, every one of them, are leading you inexorably to either success or failure, however you define those terms.
7
Elayne Boosler
I am thankful the most important key in history was invented. It's not the key to your house, your car, your boat, your safety deposit box, your bike lock or your private community. It's the key to order, sanity, and peace of mind. The key is 'Delete.'
8
Chris Brown
I think the key is basically just your determination. As far an artist is concerned, it's just about your drive and your dream.
9
Jim Bunning
A loving family provides the foundation children need to succeed, and strong families with a man and a woman - bonded together for life - always have been, and always will be, the key to such families.
10
Deepak Chopra
Our minds influence the key activity of the brain, which then influences everything; perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships; they're all a projection of you.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «KEY»

Discover the use of key in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to key and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Sarah's Key
Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.
Tatiana de Rosnay, 2007
2
Duma Key: A Novel
Renting a house on the Florida coast after suffering a crippling accident and ending his marriage, construction millionaire Edgar Freemantle creates works of art that lead him to discover unsettling elements from his landlady's enigmatic ...
Stephen King, 2008
3
A Key Into the Language of America
A discourse on the languages of Native Americans encountered by the early settlers. This early linguistic treatise gives rare insight into the early contact between Europeans and Native Americans.
Roger Williams, 1997
4
The Synchronicity Key: The Hidden Intelligence Guiding the ...
In his new book, The Synchronicity Key, Wilcock embarks on an astonishing investigation into what lies beyond this new understanding of our how our universe works—finding proof that everything in our lives is not only connected, it all ...
David Wilcock, 2013
5
The Master Key System
The Book that will not only leave you 'feeling' good, but also 'thinking' good. In The Master Key System, presented as a series of twenty-four lessons, Charles Haanel discusses everything from how to feel healthy to how to become wealthy.
Charles F. Haanel, 2008
6
Post-colonial Studies: The Key Concepts
This volume provides an essential key to understanding the issues that characterize post-colonialism, explaining what it is, where it is encountered and why it is crucial in forging new cultural identities, Among the subjects defined and ...
Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, Helen Tiffin, 2000
7
Key Thinkers in Linguistics and the Philosophy of Language
This book is a unique and accessible reference guide to the work of eighty key figures who have played an important rol in the development of ideas about language from antiquity t the twenty-first century.
Siobhan Chapman, Christopher Routledge, 2005
8
Key Spelling: Book 2
Essential skills practice for better reading and writing
‎2005
9
Become a Key Person of Influence
You may think it takes years, or even decades, to become a Key Person of Influence - as this book shows, nothing could be further from the truth! Becoming a Key Person of Influence in your industry starts today!
Daniel Priestley, 2010
10
Key Themes In Media Theory
Key Themes is a critical introduction to key theories of media for undergraduate students.
Laughey, Dan, 2007

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «KEY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term key is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Sleaford Mods, Key Markets, review: 'a blast of British street life …
The question implicit in the self-mocking album title is what could possibly be the key market for something so apparently unmarketable? «Telegraph.co.uk, Jul 15»
2
Orchard Park police warn of scam aimed at Key Bank customers …
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB)- The Orchard Park Police Department is notifying the public of a new scam aimed at Key Bank customers. «wivb.com, Jul 15»
3
Guardians Limited Collector's Edition key for a disc - VG247.com
Those who have pre-ordered the digital version of the Halo 5: Guardians Limited Collector's Edition can trade their key in for a physical disc. «VG247, Jul 15»
4
Windows 10 Home vs Windows 10 Pro: the key differences …
When you count all the different ways Windows 10 will be available, there are actually seven different editions: Windows 10 Home, Pro, ... «Techradar India, Jul 15»
5
Tapping consumers is the key to economic health | South China …
Confidence in policy is key to prosperity. Slower economic growth and falling commodity prices create uncertainty. Continuing to tap into ... «South China Morning Post, Jul 15»
6
Supergirl Is Adding A Key Character From The Comics - Cinema Blend
Supergirl Is Adding A Key Character From The Comics image. As it flies forward full speed ahead towards its Season 1 premiere this fall, CBS' ... «Cinema Blend, Jul 15»
7
Coconut Key Lime Tart With Biscoff Cookie Crust Recipe … - PopSugar
Because of the oversaturation of coconut I've been throwing at you lately, I briefly thought about altering the base of this key lime tart into ... «POPSUGAR, Jul 15»
8
Brazilian soccer boss to miss key FIFA meeting - Yahoo Eurosport UK
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Marco Polo del Nero will miss Monday's key FIFA executive ... «Yahoo Eurosport UK, Jul 15»
9
Cricket-Australia's Marsh happy with two key wickets | Reuters
Cricket-Australia's Marsh happy with two key wickets. LONDON, July 18 | By Ed Osmond. LONDON, July 18 Australia all-rounder Mitchell ... «Reuters UK, Jul 15»
10
Ten key players to watch in the second half - SweetSpot - ESPN
Most likely, however, it's not trades that will decide the postseason teams, but players already on rosters. Here are 10 key guys to watch in the ... «ESPN, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Key [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/key>. May 2024 ».
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