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keynote speaker

keynote speaker

18 3.7
A main speaker at a conference who gives the most important talk
  • noun
  • /ˈkiːnoʊt ˈspiːkər/
translation icon : orador principal
  • Tonight's keynote speaker needs no introduction from me.
  • keynote speaker for the conference

So we're very pleased to welcome as our keynote speaker Valerie Steele.

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Examples

  • This year, we are honored to welcome our keynote speaker, Doctor Simran Jeet Singh.

  • I was a keynote speaker.

  • I will be the keynote speaker to discuss exactly this issue.

  • Yeah, I was the keynote speaker.

  • And I have picked the names of a few people who you have had as keynote speakers on your event.

  • As we're listening to our inspiring keynote speaker today, he'll be giving us a useful shot in the arm.

  • So with that, I am going to turn it off to our first keynote speaker, Chris Clark.

  • As our first order of business, it is a privilege to call to the podium our keynote speaker.

  • I am now honored to introduce our keynote speaker, Professor John Palfrey.

  • I am now honored to introduce our keynote speaker, Professor John Palfrey.

Synonyms

keynoter
vskeynote speaker
  • US
5.4

A person who sets the main idea for a movement or debate

is specifically the main person who delivers the opening address at a formal meeting

How Prominent

keynote speaker
18 3.7
speaker
478 2.1
presenter
  • Formal
11 3.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

keynote + speaker

The compound is directly compositional: 'keynote' (the principal speech that sets a conference's tone) + 'speaker' (someone who gives a speech) yields the person who delivers the keynote. This noun–noun construction and the role it describes are cross-linguistically common and readily inferable by a learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The phrase keynote speaker comes from music: the keynote is the main note that sets a song's key. So a keynote speaker sets the meeting's main idea and 'tone'.