cardinal Definition
- 1a leading dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church
- 2a bright red color
- 3a North American songbird with a crest on the head
Using cardinal: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "cardinal" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The cardinal was appointed by the Pope to lead the diocese.
Example
She wore a beautiful dress in cardinal red.
Example
I saw a cardinal perched on the tree outside my window this morning.
cardinal Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with cardinal
Example
In journalism, the cardinal rule is to always check your sources before publishing a story.
Example
We need to head in a cardinal direction to reach the highway.
Example
In the sentence 'There are three apples on the table,' 'three' is a cardinal number.
Origins of cardinal
from Latin 'cardinalis', meaning 'principal, chief, essential'
Summary: cardinal in Brief
The term 'cardinal' [ˈkɑːdɪnəl] has three main meanings. Firstly, it refers to a leading dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church. Secondly, it describes a bright red color. Thirdly, it denotes a North American songbird with a crest on the head. 'Cardinal' extends into phrases like 'cardinal rule,' denoting a fundamental principle, and 'cardinal direction,' indicating one of the four main points of the compass.