keyword

UK: ˈkiːwɜːd | US: ˈkiːwɜːrd

Definition

  1. n. a word or concept of great significance or relevance

  2. n. (computing) a reserved word used in programming to perform specific operations

  3. n. (linguistics) a word used to categorize or index content

Structure
key <essential>word <term>
Etymology

The word "keyword" combines "key" (from Old English cǣg, meaning "essential" or "pivotal") and "word" (from Old English word, meaning "speech" or "term"). Originally used to denote a crucial term in discourse, its meaning expanded in the 20th century to include computing and indexing contexts, reflecting its role as a linguistic or functional "key" to accessing information.

Examples

  1. "The professor highlighted the keyword in the research paper."

  2. "In Python, 'if' is a keyword used for conditional statements."

  3. "SEO strategies focus on optimizing content for specific keywords."

  4. "She searched the document using the keyword 'sustainability'."

  5. "The librarian indexed the books by their primary keywords."