chave principal
1. The primary or most important key used to unlock or access something
The main key to the office building is kept in a secure location.
A chave principal do prédio do escritório é guardada em um local seguro.
2. In database systems, a field or set of fields that uniquely identifies each record in a table
The main key in this database table is the customer ID number.
A chave principal nesta tabela de banco de dados é o número de identificação do cliente.
3. In music, the primary or tonal center key of a composition
The symphony is written in the main key of C major.
A sinfonia é escrita na chave principal de Dó maior.
4. The fundamental or most critical element that determines success or understanding
Communication is the main key to resolving conflicts.
A comunicação é a chave principal para resolver conflitos.
In Brazil, 'chave principal' is widely used in both technical contexts (IT/databases) and everyday language. In corporate and security settings, maintaining control of the 'chave principal' is a critical responsibility. The metaphorical use of 'main key' to mean 'fundamental element for success' is common in both American English and Brazilian Portuguese.
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