What does 要 mean?
要 is a Japanese noun meaning “linchpin” or “key point” in English. It is written as 要 in kanji, かなめ in hiragana, and kaname in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N1 vocabulary.
Example sentences
彼はチームの要だ。
He's the linchpin of the team.
ここがこの計画の要だ。
This is the key point of the plan.