Cardinal Definition

kärdn-əl, kärdnəl
adjective
Of main importance; principal; chief.
Webster's New World
Dark to deep or vivid red.
American Heritage
Bright-red, like the robe of a cardinal.
Webster's New World
(nautical) Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).
A cardinal mark.
Wiktionary

Describing a "natural" number used to indicate quantity (e.g., one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
noun

One of the Roman Catholic officials appointed by the pope to his council (College of Cardinals)

Webster's New World
Bright red.
Webster's New World
Any of various passerine birds (family Emberizidae); esp., a bright-red, crested American species (Cardinalis cardinalis) with a red bill.
Webster's New World
A woman's short cloak, originally red and usually hooded, fashionable in the 18th cent.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Cardinal

Noun

Singular:
cardinal
Plural:
cardinals

Origin of Cardinal

  • From French cardinal, from Latin cardinālis (“pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends, important, principal, chief”), from cardō (“hinge”) + -ālis, adjectival suffix.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Late Latin cardinālis principal, pivotal from Latin serving as a hinge from cardō cardin- hinge

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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