cardinal

[ˈkɑːdɪnəl]

cardinal Definition

• 1. a leading dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church
• 2. a bright red color
• 3. a 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

Synonyms for cardinal

• bishop
• archbishop
• pope
• red
• scarlet
• crimson
• ruby
• songbird
• cherry

Phrases with cardinal

• cardinal rule

  a fundamental principle or rule that is considered essential and should not be broken

  Example

  In journalism, the cardinal rule is to always check your sources before publishing a story.

• cardinal direction

  one of the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, or west

  Example

  We need to head in a cardinal direction to reach the highway.

• cardinal number

  a number used to indicate quantity, such as one, two, three, etc.

  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'

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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.