key client

USAGE SUMMARY

"key client" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It refers to a particularly important or valuable client for a business or organization. Example: As the head of sales, it is my responsibility to maintain strong relationships with our key clients and ensure their satisfaction with our products and services.

✓ Grammatically correct

Formal & Business

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

Key client sectors include: banking and finance; travel; IT, real estate; media and fashion.

The Guardian

You set up the contract renegotiation with a key client months ago.

Harvard University

Imagine you set up the contract renegotiation with a key client months ago.

Harvard University

Egypt was a key client state of the Soviet Union, and the cold war hovered over the forging of that first melting of hostilities in the Middle East.

The New York Times

Cordiant, based in London, has been shedding assets and is re-evaluating its corporate strategy after the loss of a key client.

The New York Times

It was a close call, but I got to win a key client and then led the business for more than a decade.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

18 human-written examples

They were both key clients," Mr Schofield said.

Independent

Your "contact-to-close" rates with key clients and prospects?

Harvard Business Review

"I always felt she was in love with the key clients she had," Mr. Bowles mused.

The New York Times

It'll just depend on what we see from our key clients.

The New York Times

Key clients include AstraZeneca, Barclays, British Airways and Diagio, and in the media sector, Pearson, Thomson Reuters, Reed Elsevier and NBC Universal.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve the term for clients that contribute significantly to revenue or strategic growth to maintain the term's impact.

Common error

Do not label every customer as a "key client". Diluting the term by applying it too broadly can lead to misallocated resources and a lack of focus in strategic reporting.

Linguistic Context

In English grammar, "key client" functions as a noun phrase where "key" acts as an attributive adjective modifying the noun "client". According to Ludwig AI, it is primarily used as a direct object in sentences describing business management, negotiations and relationship maintenance.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Formal & Business

55%

News & Media

30%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Science

4%

Reference

0.9%

Social Media

0.1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "key client" is an essential part of the modern professional lexicon. Ludwig AI data demonstrates that it is a grammatically correct and highly effective way to signal priority in business relationships. Whether you are writing a contract renegotiation plan, as seen in examples from Harvard University, or describing geopolitical alliances in The New York Times, this phrase provides immediate clarity regarding the status of the entity involved. To maintain professional impact, writers should ensure they use it selectively to distinguish truly vital accounts from standard ones. By substituting it occasionally with alternatives like <a href="/s/major+client" target="_blank" rel="alternative">major client or <a href="/s/strategic+partner" target="_blank" rel="alternative">strategic partner, you can add variety to your prose without losing the intended emphasis on importance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

major client

A direct synonym that emphasizes the size or scale of the business relationship.

high-value client

Explicitly highlights the financial significance of the individual or organization.

premier client

Adds a sense of prestige or elite status to the business relationship.

primary customer

Shifts the focus from professional services (client) to general commerce (customer).

core customer

Refers to a client that belongs to the most central part of a business's target audience.

top-tier account

Common in sales and marketing to categorize a high-value business segment.

essential account

Implies that the business's stability or success depends on this specific relationship.

strategic partner

Suggests a deeper, more collaborative relationship than a standard buyer-seller dynamic.

main patron

A slightly more formal or artistic term often used in non-profit or creative sectors.

critical stakeholder

Broader term that includes any party with a vital interest in the organization's success.

FAQs

How to use "key client" in a professional sentence?

You can use it to describe high-stakes relationships, such as: "Our team is preparing a presentation for a <a href="/s/key+client" target="_blank" rel="alternative">key client in the technology sector."

What is the difference between a "key client" and a "key customer"?

While often used interchangeably, a <a href="/s/key+client" target="_blank" rel="alternative">key client typically refers to professional services (law, consulting), whereas a <a href="/s/key+customer" target="_blank" rel="alternative">key customer is more common in retail and manufacturing.

Is it correct to say "top-tier client" instead of "key client"?

Yes, using "<a href="/s/top-tier+client" target="_blank" rel="alternative">top-tier client" is a perfectly acceptable alternative that emphasizes the client's ranking within your business structure.

What can I say instead of "key client" to sound more formal?

You can use more sophisticated alternatives such as "<a href="/s/strategic+account" target="_blank" rel="alternative">strategic account" or "<a href="/s/cornerstone+client" target="_blank" rel="alternative">cornerstone client" depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.