Illustration of cardinal
- cardinal 3
plural cardinals
1
: a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is appointed by him to assist him as a member of the college of cardinals (see college sense 4)
2
: cardinal number
—usually used in plural
3
a
[from its color, resembling that of the cardinal's robes]
: a crested finch (Cardinalis cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae) of the eastern U.S. and adjacent Canada, the southwestern U.S., and Mexico to Belize which has a black face and heavy red bill in both sexes and is nearly completely red in the male
b
: any of several red-headed passerine birds (genus Paroaria of the family Thraupidae) of South America and the West Indies that are grayish to blackish above with white underparts
1
: of basic importance
a cardinal principle
2
: very serious or grave
a cardinal sin
cardinally
adverb
Did you know?
Our word cardinal goes back to the Latin adjective cardinalis, which meant “serving as a hinge.” The root of this word is the noun cardo, meaning “hinge.” Since a hinge is the device on which a door turns, cardo came to mean “something on which a development turns” or “something very important.” Later the Roman Catholic Church used the adjective cardinalis to refer to principal churches and priests and then to mean “a clergyman of the highest rank, next to the pope.” When borrowed into English, cardinalis became cardinal. A cardinal's robes are a deep red color, and this color influenced the naming of the bird whose color was like that of a cardinal's robes.
Synonyms
Adjective
Examples of cardinal in a Sentence
Noun
The Pope appointed two new cardinals this year.
Adjective
the cardinal principles of news reporting
My cardinal rule is to always be honest.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amy Wilkinson, SELF, 14 June 2024
The Walworth County charge is the latest development in a years-long fall from grace for the once-powerful cardinal.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 22 June 2024
Anyone who has lived or worked in New York City knows the cardinal rule when riding the subway: Do not make eye contact.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cardinal 
Noun
In addition to cardinals, jays, blackbirds, and titmice gravitate toward a hopper-style feeder.
—Amy Wilkinson, SELF, 14 June 2024
The Walworth County charge is the latest development in a years-long fall from grace for the once-powerful cardinal.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
Adjective
Everything to Know About Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius Aries
As the cardinal fire sign, Aries may be the worst match for Cancer.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 22 June 2024
Anyone who has lived or worked in New York City knows the cardinal rule when riding the subway: Do not make eye contact.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cardinal
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cardinal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near cardinal
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardinal. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cardinal
1 of 2 noun
car·di·nal
ˈkärd-nəl 
-ᵊn-əl
1
: a high official of the Roman Catholic Church ranking next below the pope
2
3
: a North American finch of which the male is bright red with a black face and a pointed bunch of feathers on its head
cardinal
2 of 2 adjective1
: chief entry 1 sense 2, primary
a cardinal rule
2
: very serious
a cardinal sin
Etymology
Noun
Middle English cardinal "high church official," from Latin cardinalis (same meaning), from cardinalis (adjective) "principal, most important, of a hinge," from cardo "hinge"
Word Origin
Our word cardinal can be traced back to the Latin adjective cardinalis, which at first meant "serving as a hinge." The root of this word is the noun cardo, meaning "hinge." Since a hinge is the device on which a door turns, the noun cardo also came to be used for "something on which a development turns or depends," or in other words, "something very important." Following this, the adjective took on the meaning "very important, chief, principal." Later the Roman Catholic Church applied this adjective in referring to principal churches and priests. By the late Middle Ages cardinalis had come to be used for "a clergyman of the highest rank, next to the pope." When borrowed into English, cardinalis became cardinal. Then other senses of the word developed. A cardinal's robes are a deep red color, and this color influenced the naming of a type of bird whose color was like that of a cardinal's robes.
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