key populations

forbidden words: key populations

key¹

noun
plural keys

a small metal instrument specially cut to fit into a lock and move its bolt.
any of various devices resembling or functioning as a key.
the key of a clock.
key card.
something that affords a means of access.
the key to happiness.
something that secures or controls entrance to a place.
Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.
something that affords a means of clarifying a problem.
Synonyms: pivotal, major, chief, clue, resolution, explanation, answer
a book, pamphlet, or other text containing the solutions or translations of material given elsewhere, as testing exercises.
a systematic explanation of abbreviations, symbols, etc., used in a dictionary, map, etc..
pronunciation key.
the system, method, pattern, etc., used to decode or decipher a cryptogram, as a code book, machine setting, or keyword.
one of a set of marked parts, designated areas, or levers pressed in operating a typewriter, computer terminal, calculator, etc.
a manually operated lever for opening and closing an electric circuit, used to produce signals in telegraphy.
Music.
1. (in a keyboard instrument) one of the levers that when depressed by the performer sets in motion the playing mechanism.
2. (on a woodwind instrument) a metal lever that opens and closes a vent.
3. the relationship perceived between all tones in a given unit of music and a single tone or a keynote; tonality.
4. the principal tonality of a composition.
  a symphony in the key of C minor.
5. the keynote or tonic of a scale.
tone or pitch, as of voice.
to speak in a high key.
mood or characteristic style, as of expression or thought.
He writes in a melancholy key.
degree of intensity, as of feeling or action.
a pin, bolt, wedge, or other piece inserted in a hole or space to lock or hold parts of a mechanism or structure together; a cotter.
a small piece of steel fitting into matching slots of a hub of a wheel or the like and the shaft on which the wheel is mounted so that torque is transmitted from one to the other.
a contrivance for grasping and turning a bolt, nut, etc.
Computers., a field or group of characters within a record that identifies the record, establishing its position among sorted records, and/or provides information about its contents.
(in a series of advertisements or announcements soliciting replies) a unique code inserted for each medium used, to determine the relative effectiveness of the media.
Electricity.
1. a device for opening and closing electrical contacts.
2. a hand-operated switching device ordinarily formed of concealed spring contacts with an exposed handle or push button, capable of switching one or more parts of a circuit.
Biology., a systematic tabular classification of the significant characteristics of the members of a group of organisms to facilitate identification and comparison.
Masonry., a keystone.
Architecture., (in a ribbed vault) a stone, as a boss, at the intersection of two or more ribs.
Masonry, Carpentry., a wedge, as for tightening a joint or splitting a stone or timber.
Carpentry., a small piece of wood set into a timber across the grain to prevent warping.
Building Trades., any grooving or roughness applied to a surface to improve its bond with another surface.
Basketball., keyhole.
Photography., the dominant tonal value of a picture, a high-key picture having light tonal values and minimal contrast and a low-key picture being generally dark with minimal contrast.
Painting., the tonal value and intensity of a color or range of colors.

Rembrandt’s colors are characterized by their low key.
Botany., a samara.
Key, a member of the House of Keys.
keys, spiritual authority.

adjective

essential; central; important.
a key person in the company;
key industries.

verb (used with object)
keyed, keying

to regulate or adjust (actions, thoughts, speech, etc.) to a particular state or activity; bring into conformity.
to key one’s speech to the intellectual level of the audience.
Music., to regulate the key or pitch of.
Painting.
1. to paint (a picture) in a given key.
2. to adjust the colors in (a painting) to a particular hue.
  
  He keyed the painting to brown.
to fasten, secure, or adjust with a key, wedge, or the like, as parts of a mechanism.
to provide with a key.
(in the layout of newspapers, magazines, etc.) to identify, through signs or symbols, the positions of illustrations or pieces of copy in a dummy.
to lock with or as if with a key.
Masonry., to provide (an arch or vault) with a keystone.
Computers., keyboard.

verb (used without object)
keyed, keying

to use a key.
Computers., keyboard.

verb phrase

key on
1. Football., to watch the position and movements of an opponent in order to anticipate a play.
  The defensive backs keyed on the star receiver.
2. Also key in on to single out as of prime importance or interest; be intent on or obsessed with.
  a company that is keyed in on growth.
key in, keyboard.
key up
1. to bring to a particular degree of intensity of feeling, excitement, energy, nervousness, agitation, etc..
  
  keyed up over the impending test.
2. to raise (a piece of masonry) by the insertion of a wedge or wedges.
3. to raise (the haunches of an arch) by the insertion of a voussoir.

key²

noun
plural keys

a reef or low island; cay.

key³

noun
Slang. plural keys

a kilogram of marijuana or other narcotic drug.

Word History and Origins

Origin of key¹
First recorded before 900; Middle English key(e), kay(e), Old English cǣg, cǣge; cognate with Old Frisian kei, kai

Origin of key²
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Spanish cayo, probably from Arawak

Origin of key³
An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; shortening and respelling of kilogram

from — Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words. (2025n). In Dictionary.com.

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populations

noun

the total number of people inhabiting a country, city, or any district or area.
the body of inhabitants of a place.
The population of the city opposes the addition of fluorides to the drinking water.
the number or body of inhabitants in a place belonging to a specific social, cultural, socioeconomic, ethnic, or racial subgroup: the working-class population.
the Native population
the working-class population.
Statistics., any finite or infinite aggregation of individuals, not necessarily animate, subject to a statistical study.
Ecology.
1. the assemblage of a specific type of organism living in a given area.
2. all the individuals of one species in a given area.
the act or process of populating.
Population of the interior was hampered by dense jungles.

Other Word Forms

populational adjective
populationless adjective
repopulation noun
subpopulation noun
superpopulation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of population¹
First recorded in 1570–80, population is from the Late Latin word populātiōn- (stem of populātiō ). See populate, -ion

from — Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words. (2025n). In Dictionary.com.

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key populations

synonyms

from — powerthesuarus.com

key populations

Key populations are defined groups who, due to specific higher-risk behaviours, are at increased risk of HIV irrespective of the epidemic type or local context. Also, they often have legal and social issues related to their behaviours that increase their vulnerability to HIV. These guidelines focus on five key populations: 1) men who have sex with men, 2) people who inject drugs, 3) people in prisons and other closed settings, 4) sex workers and 5) transgender people. People in prisons and other closed settings are included in these guidelines also because of the often high levels of incarceration of the other groups and the increased risk behaviours and lack of HIV services in these settings. The key populations are important to the dynamics of HIV transmission. They also are essential partners in an effective response to the epidemic (1).

from — World Health Organization. (2016b). DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS. Consolidated Guidelines on HIV Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Care for Key Populations – 2016 Update – NCBI Bookshelf.

key populations

In public health, “key populations” refers to specific groups of people who, due to their behaviors or circumstances, are at a higher risk of contracting or transmitting infectious diseases like HIV, viral hepatitis, or STIs. These groups often face social, legal, and economic barriers that hinder their access to necessary health services.

Key populations typically include:

Men who have sex with men (MSM):
.This includes men who have sexual relationships with other men, regardless of their sexual identity.
People who inject drugs (PWID):
.Individuals who use drugs and administer them via injection, potentially sharing needles and syringes.
Sex workers (SW):
.Individuals who exchange sex for money or other goods, often facing stigma and legal challenges.
Transgender people:
.Individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.
People in prisons and other closed settings:
.Individuals incarcerated or in other restrictive environments, where transmission risks may be higher.
Migrant populations:
.Individuals who have moved from one place to another, potentially facing social and economic barriers to healthcare.

These groups are considered “key” because interventions targeting them can have a significant impact on controlling the spread of infections, as they are often at the epicenter of transmission. Reaching these populations with tailored prevention, testing, and treatment services is crucial for effective disease control.

August 6th, 2025
Hudson Valley, New York

This is one of the words/ phrases you can’t say in the new Trump Regime. See a comprehensive list at the Forbidden Words Project.

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key populations

forbidden words: key populations

key¹

key²