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The <i>WRKY</i> gene family is one of the most significant transcription factor (TF) families in higher plants and participates in many secondary metabolic processes in plants. <i>Litsea cubeba</i> (Lour.) Person is an important woody oil plant that is high in terpenoids. However, no studies have been conducted to investigate the WRKY TFs that regulate the synthesis of terpene in <i>L. cubeba</i>. This paper provides a comprehensive genomic analysis of the <i>LcWRKYs</i>. In the <i>L. cubeba</i> genome, 64 <i>LcWRKY</i> genes were discovered. According to a comparative phylogenetic study with <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>, these <i>L. cubeba WRKYs</i> were divided into three groups. Some <i>LcWRKY</i> genes may have arisen from gene duplication, but the majority of <i>LcWRKY</i> evolution has been driven by segmental duplication events. Based on transcriptome data, a consistent expression pattern of <i>LcWRKY17</i> and terpene synthase <i>LcTPS42</i> was found at different stages of <i>L. cubeba</i> fruit development. Furthermore, the function of <i>LcWRKY17</i> was verified by subcellular localization and transient overexpression, and overexpression of <i>LcWRKY17</i> promotes monoterpene synthesis. Meanwhile, dual-Luciferase and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) experiments showed that the <i>LcWRKY17</i> transcription factor binds to W-box motifs of <i>LcTPS42</i> and enhances its transcription. In conclusion, this research provided a fundamental framework for future functional analysis of the <i>WRKY</i> gene families, as well as breeding improvement and the regulation of secondary metabolism in <i>L. cubeba</i>.