1
give a keynote (speech/address)
keynote 常与 give, deliver 搭配，表示发表主旨演讲。
The CEO gave the keynote at the annual conference.
首席执行官在年会上发表了主旨演讲。
基调；主题
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
基调；主题
the principal theme in a speech or literary work
The CEO gave the keynote at the annual conference.
首席执行官在年会上发表了主旨演讲。
设定会议或其他聚会主要主题的演讲
A speech that sets the main theme of a conference or other gathering; a keynote speech or keynote address.
主旨；基调
the principal theme in a speech or literary work
演讲、书面作品或会议的主要主题
The main theme of a speech, a written work, or a conference.
核心思想；基本观念
a fundamental or central idea
The keynote of the mayor's speech was the need for more affordable housing.
市长演讲的核心主题是对更多可负担住房的需求。
Can you identify the keynote of this poem?
你能指出这首诗的主旨吗？
The keynote of the report is that current policies are not sustainable.
这份报告的主旨是当前政策不可持续。
keynote 常与 give, deliver 搭配，表示发表主旨演讲。
The CEO gave the keynote at the annual conference.
首席执行官在年会上发表了主旨演讲。
作为动词时，keynote 直接接会议或活动。
Professor Smith keynoted the international summit.
史密斯教授在国际峰会上发表了主旨演讲。
The keynote of his address was unity.
他演讲的主旨是团结。
Not this
He gave keynote at the conference.
Use this
He gave a keynote at the conference.
keynote作为可数名词，需要不定冠词'a'；中文中“基调”常不用量词，导致遗漏冠词。
Not this
She gave a keynote about education.
Use this
She gave a keynote on education.
在表示演讲主题时，英文用介词'on'而非'about'，受中文“关于”的影响误用'about'。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
主题演讲
The CEO gave the keynote address at the annual meeting.
首席执行官在年会上发表了主题演讲。
主题演讲者
She was one of the featured keynote speakers at the forum.
她是该论坛的特邀主题演讲者之一。
发表主旨演讲
He delivered a keynote on sustainable development.
他发表了关于可持续发展的主旨演讲。
主旨报告
The keynote presentation highlighted the company's new strategy.
主旨报告重点介绍了公司的新战略。
在会议上作主旨发言
She will keynote the international conference next month.
她将在下个月的国际会议上作主旨发言。
定下基调
Her opening speech set the keynote for the entire conference.
她的开幕演讲为整个会议定下了基调。
突出主题，强调中心思想
In his essay, the author strikes the keynote of individual freedom.
在文章中，作者强调了个体自由这一主题。
Use keynote naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把 keynote 拆成 key（关键）+ note（音符/调子）：像一段主旋律定住全场基调。联想 keynote speech（主题演讲），就是为整场活动定调的那场演讲。
语域：formal 常见场景：学术或行业会议、正式演讲、文学批评与写作 表示“主题、基调”时，多用于正式演讲、会议主题报告或文学评论等较正式场合；日常口语较少单独使用，更常说 main theme 或 main point。
下列单词都与 keynote 中的 -note 部分押韵，都含有 /oʊt/ 音：note, vote, quote, wrote, boat, coat。注意拼写差异：note, vote, quote, wrote 拼作 -ote，而 boat, coat 拼作 -oat。注意形近音异词：not /nɑt/ 和 out /aʊt/ 看似相似，但发音不同，不要混淆。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.