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key issues

key issues

42 2.3
The main problems in a discussion or situation
  • noun
translation icon : cuestión clave
  • As it turned out, the key issue behind all of this was trust.
  • address a key issue
  • raise key issues
  • identify key issues

And he said to me that homelessness was his key issue.

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Examples

  • So that was actually a real key issue with that constituency.

  • The Issues section examines key issues facing the nation and plans for addressing these challenges.

    Academic text (2015)
  • It's really an attempt to get around the key issue here, which is is this an appropriate medical treatment or not?

  • So on what he himself describes as the key issue facing this country, he has no answer.

  • Let's cut right to key issues, okay?

  • Consumer acceptance and understanding has been a key issue in all this.

  • The symposium will address three aspects of this key issue of structure formation.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Career advancement and perceived improved job performance were key issues for these individuals.

    Academic text (2008)
  • As the push for national standards intensifies, assessment emerges as a key issue in media education.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The crisis at the border is becoming a key issue in the 2020 presidential election.

Synonyms

major issue
vskey issues
51 3.2

An important problem that needs a solution

is broader, referring to a group of key problems rather than one issue
key point
vskey issues
43 3.1

A main idea in a talk or report

covers several important problems rather than one isolated idea
crux
vskey issues
34 7.5

The main point that decides what matters most in an issue

refers to multiple central problems instead of a single decisive point
focal point
vskey issues
30 3.7

The main person, thing, or idea that gets most attention

applies to several important problems rather than a single focus
13 3.9

The most important part of a problem or discussion

speaks of several main problems rather than a single central point
crux of the matter
vskey issues
4 5.6

The most important part of a problem or discussion

refers to several important problems rather than one single point

Antonyms

6 3.2

A small point that is not important

How Important

major issue
51 3.2
serious issue
41 3.0
key issues
42 2.3
minor detail
6 3.2

Surface Forms

key issues singular
key issues plural

Morphology

key + issue

The meaning 'the most important problems' is directly compositional from 'key' (important) + 'issues' (problems/discussion points), following a standard adjective + noun pattern. This is a cross-linguistically common construction, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Key issues comes from the picture of a key opening an important door; the things behind that door are the main issues people must deal with. So, key issues means the most important or 'main' problems in a discussion.