What does "keystone" mean?
The top stone of an arch.
Keystone
/ˈkiː.stəʊn/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The top stone of an arch.
- Grammar: keystone is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: key, linchpin, anchor, apse.
- Useful contrasts: insignificant, nonarchitectural, nonessential.
- Usage evidence: Environmentalists are opposing the Keystone XL pipeline.
How to use "keystone"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "keystone" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "keystone" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "keystone" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "keystone" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "keystone" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "key" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "keystone", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The top stone of an arch.
"The tunnel, which is 1,000 yd. long, had been closed to passenger traffic since November 17, 1949, after some of the keystones had worked loose."
- 2 the central building block at the top of an arch or vault wordnet
- 3 Something on which other things depend for support.
"Tension between empirical and theoretical knowledge is keystone to sociological and to organizational theories, as early as in Marx's and Weber's frameworks."
- 4 a central cohesive source of support and stability wordnet
- 5 A native or resident of the American state of Pennsylvania.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A retail price that is double the cost price; a markup of 100%.
- 7 The combination of the shortstop and second baseman.
Verb
- 1 To distort (an image) by projecting it onto a surface at an angle, which for example causes a square to look like a trapezoid. transitive
- 2 To double the cost price in order to determine the retail price; to apply a markup of 100%. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A census-designated place in Colorado.
- 2 A city and town in Iowa.
- 3 A ghost town in North Dakota.
- 4 A town in South Dakota.
Antonyms
Example
"Environmentalists are opposing the Keystone XL pipeline."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "keystone"?
Common synonyms include: key, linchpin, anchor, apse, arcade, arcature.
How do you use "keystone" in a sentence?
Environmentalists are opposing the Keystone XL pipeline.
How do you pronounce "keystone"?
Pronounced /ˈkiː.stəʊn/.
Etymology
From key + stone. Definition 4 (retail) possibly originated in the jewelry industry in the magazine called "Jewelers' Circular-Keystone".
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