The aim of this article is to give a criterion, generalizing the criterion introduced by Priddy for algebras, to verify that an operad is Koszul. We define the notion of a Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt basis in the context of operads. Then we show that an operad having a Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt basis is Koszul. Besides, we obtain that the Koszul dual operad has also a Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt basis. We check that the classical examples of Koszul operads (commutative, associative, Lie) have a Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt basis.