cardinal

noun
UK: /ˈkɑːdɪnl/
US: /ˈkɑːrdɪnl/

  1. A high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church, appointed by the Pope.

    1. The cardinal gave a speech today.
    2. The new cardinal was chosen for his dedication to the church and his pastoral work.

  2. A North American songbird; the male is bright red.

    1. I saw a cardinal in my yard.
    2. The bright red cardinal perched on the branch stood out against the snowy landscape.

Synonyms

principal chief main basic fundamental key
cardinal adjective

  1. Of basic importance; fundamental.

    1. Honesty is a cardinal virtue.
    2. Following safety regulations is of cardinal importance in this lab.

  2. Bright red in color.

    1. She wore a cardinal dress.
    2. The sunset painted the sky with cardinal and orange hues.
cardinal noun

  1. A cardinal number expresses quantity (one, two, three, etc.) rather than order (first, second, third, etc.).

    1. Two is a cardinal number.
    2. In mathematics, cardinal numbers are used to determine the size of sets.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "cardinal" in English means: A high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church, appointed by the Pope., A North American songbird; the male is bright red..

The phonetic transcription of "cardinal" is /ˈkɑːdɪnl/ in British English and /ˈkɑːrdɪnl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "cardinal": principal, chief, main, basic, fundamental, key.

Example usage of "cardinal": "The cardinal gave a speech today.". More examples on the page.