Meanings
nounkey light (plural key lights)
plural key lights · alternative keylight
- artsThe most important light, used to highlight the form and dimension of the subject.
Age lines were drawn on McCarthy's face in red makeup, and when key lights with red filters were used, the lines were not visible.
2015, Don Presnell, Marty McGee, A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone, 1959-1964, page 57
Cite this entry
APA
key light. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/key%20light
MLA
“key light.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/key%20light. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “key light,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/key%20light.
Source: key light on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.