Anahtar

Anahtar is a Turkish noun meaning key and is used in both concrete and abstract senses. The most common meaning is the physical object that opens a lock: a metal instrument designed to fit a specific lock cylinder. In figurative language, anahtar denotes something that provides access, control, or a solution—the key to understanding a problem or a crucial factor in a situation (anahtar unsur, anahtar rol).

In technical contexts, anahtar appears in several established terms: açık anahtar (public key) and özel anahtar (private key) are fundamental concepts in public-key cryptography, enabling secure encryption and decryption. Birincil anahtar (primary key) is a database concept referring to the field or set of fields that uniquely identify a record in a table. Anahtar kelime (keyword) denotes a significant word or phrase used in indexing and search engine optimization. The term is therefore versatile across computing, information science, and security.

Beyond its literal meaning, anahtar is widely used in Turkish to indicate essential components or turning points within systems, making it a common term in both everyday language and technical discourse.