keynote Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun the principal theme in a speech or literary work
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noun a fundamental or central idea
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noun (music) the first note of a diatonic scale
tonic.
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verb set the keynote of
- Comfort keynotes this designer's Fall collection
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verb give the keynote address to (an audience)
WordNet
Key"note` noun
Definitions
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(Mus.) The tonic or first tone of the scale in which a piece or passage is written; the fundamental tone of the chord, to which all the modulations of the piece are referred; -- called also key tone . -
The fundamental fact or idea; that which gives the key; as, the .keynote of a policy or a sermon
