cardinal

American  

[kahr-dn-l] / ˈkɑr dn l /

noun

• cardinals
  plural

1. Roman Catholic Church. a high ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope.

2. any bird belonging to the genus Cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae (cardinal family), especially the common northern cardinal of North America, the male of which is bright red.

3. any bird of the Americas belonging to the genus Piranga, Chlorothraupis, or Habia, including the scarlet tanager: these three genera were long considered part of the tanager family but are now classified as members of the cardinal family.

4. Also called red-headed cardinal.  any bird belonging to the genus Paroaria of the tanager family (Thraupidae), noted for drab plumage other than conspicuously red head parts: most common in South America, Paroaria species include the prominently crested P. coronata, which has been successfully introduced to Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

5. Also called Mediterranean fritillary.  a spotted, orange nymphalid butterfly with a green underside, Argynnis pandora, found throughout southern Europe and some adjoining regions of Asia and northern Africa.

6. a deep, rich red color.

7. a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.

8. cardinal number.

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adjective

1. of prime importance; chief; principal.

   of cardinal significance.

2. of the color cardinal.

cardinal British  

/ ˈkɑːdɪnəl /

noun

1. RC Church any of the members of the Sacred College, ranking next after the pope, who elect the pope and act as his chief counsellors

2. Also called: cardinal red.  a deep vivid red colour

3. See cardinal number

4. Also called: cardinal grosbeak.   redbird.  a crested North American bunting, Richmondena (or Pyrrhuloxia ) cardinalis, the male of which has a bright red plumage and the female a brown one

5. a fritillary butterfly, Pandoriana pandora, found in meadows of southern Europe

6. a woman's hooded shoulder cape worn in the 17th and 18th centuries

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adjective

1. (usually prenominal) fundamentally important; principal

   cardinal sin

2. of a deep vivid red colour

3. astrology of or relating to the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn Compare mutable fixed

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cardinalship
  noun
• intercardinal
  adjective
• postcardinal
  adjective
• subcardinal
  adjective
• cardinally
  adverb
• subcardinally
  adverb
• uncardinally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cardinals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cardinal

First recorded before 1150; Middle English, Old English, from Latin cardinālis, equivalent to cardin- (stem of cardō ) “hinge,” hence, something on which other things hinge + -ālis adjective suffix; see -al ¹

Explanation

A cardinal is a bright red songbird, and the word also refers to the bird's crimson color. In Catholicism, a cardinal is a high-ranking bishop. In math, you use cardinal numbers to count. A cardinal rule is one that is central and should not be broken. Okay, that's a lot of definitions. How exactly are they related? In most cases, cardinal means central or essential. It's a cardinal principle that you use it to describe words of behavior like rule or sin. In the Church, cardinals form the central governing body, and in math the cardinal numbers (one, two, three) are the numbers you learn and use first.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cardinal cardinals

To his new coach, the spectacular move constituted a cardinal sin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

It did strike me as odd, however, that “Tony” is forged on a factual alteration that diverts Tony from the kitchen far too often — the movie’s cardinal sin.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

"Crowded into the room were members of parliament, city authorities and, I seem to remember, a single red-hatted cardinal from the Vatican."

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

"It's a great joy, but also a great responsibility," the cardinal said on Saturday after the visit was confirmed.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

I don’t want to hear about the cardinal again.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

This included senior Catholic cardinals across Asia, the leadership of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, members of Tibetan Buddhist civil society and the administration in exile, according to the report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

“We now have quite a few bishops and cardinals coming out and being present, which is very important. As far as our archdiocese is concerned — not so much.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

Six months since a conclave of cardinals elected the first North American to the Papacy, some Catholics feel that Leo has been slow to stamp his own mark on the role.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025

Leo, 70, who has a history of missionary work in Peru and is the first pope from the United States, was elected in a conclave of cardinals on May 8.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025

Now, there’s a red-headed woodpecker making the thing swing, and cardinals dot the forest scrub with red coats, waiting until the bigger birds have their fill.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Related Words

• overriding