Key
Key adjective - Coming before all others in importance.
Operational and key are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Operational" instead an adjective "Key".
Operational
Operational adjective - Being in effective operation.
Key and operational are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Key" instead an adjective "Operational".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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He counters that that's just because he "got lucky during the Gulf War," but she says that's the whole point.Jordan: Operational experience is a key to advancement.
Source: Film / G. I. Jane
Cite this Source
Operational and Key. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 03, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/key/operational
Key & Operational. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/key/operational>.
Operational or Key. 2016. Accessed August 03, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/key/operational.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "key" and "operational" have occurred on timeline