Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

key

1 adjective
     
key1 S2 W1 [no comparative]
very important or necessary:
China's support is key to the success of the coalition.
The President makes all the key decisions on foreign policy.
key role/player/figure etc (=one with a lot of influence on a result)
The show has been hit by the departure of key personnel.
➔ low-keyWORD FOCUS: important WORD FOCUS: important
similar words: main, key, chief, principal, leading, vital, crucial, essential, significant
not important: unimportant, trivial, minor, irrelevant, insignificant

➔ See also important
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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