cardinal

[ kahr-dn-l ]

/ ˈkɑr dn l /

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See synonyms for: cardinal / cardinals / cardinally on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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.

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.

Also called red-head·ed car·di·nal

[red-hed-id kahr-dn-l] /ˈrɛdˌhɛd ɪd ˈkɑr dn l/ . 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.

Also called Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an frit·il·lar·y

[med-i-tuh-rey-nee-uhn frit-l-er-ee] /ˌmɛd ɪ təˈreɪ ni ən ˈfrɪt lˌɛr i/ . a spotted, orange nymphalid butterfly with a green underside, Argynnis pandora, found throughout southern Europe and some adjoining regions of Asia and northern Africa.

a deep, rich red color.

a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.

cardinal number.

adjective

of prime importance; chief; principal: of cardinal significance.

of the color cardinal.

QUIZ

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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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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 -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM cardinal

car·di·nal·ly, adverbcar·di·nal·ship, nounin·ter·car·di·nal, adjectivepost·car·di·nal, adjective

sub·car·di·nal, adjectivesub·car·di·nal·ly, adverbun·car·di·nal·ly, adverb

Words nearby cardinal

Cardiff, cardigan, Cardigan Bay, Cardiganshire, Cardin, cardinal, cardinalate, cardinal beetle, cardinalfish, cardinal flower, cardinality

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cardinal in a sentence

His latest pronouncement supporting civil unions is a rehashed stance as cardinal in Argentina.
Pope Francis calls for civil unions for same-sex couples|Michael K. Lavers|October 21, 2020|Washington Blade
Fill it with a variety of nonaggressive fish—like neon and cardinal tetras—and cute aquarium decor.
The best fish tanks for every space|PopSci Commerce Team|October 8, 2020|Popular-Science
Defenses may have overreacted to dribble penetration, violating the cardinal rule of never helping off the strongside corner.
Why Have NBA Offenses Been So Good In The Bubble?|Mike Prada|August 20, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Krajewski is one of the youngest cardinals in the world, aged 56, and he said that this is what Jesus would have done.
Pope’s “Robin Hood” Gives Money To Jobless Transgender Sex Workers|D. N.|May 2, 2020|No Straight News

However, the priest’s resources were stretched by the health crisis, so he turned to the cardinal known as “the Pope’s Robin Hood” who runs the Vatican charities, and he wired money to help the group.
Pope’s “Robin Hood” Gives Money To Jobless Transgender Sex Workers|D. N.|May 2, 2020|No Straight News
“Light trumps darkness, hope beats despair, grace wins over sin, love defeats hate, life conquers death,” the cardinal said.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He quotes an unnamed cardinal saying that the conclave voters knew the charges were false.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Elisabetta Piqué, who knew Bergoglio well as a cardinal, writes in the present tense as if to convey real time passing.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And yet, a dossier of allegations involving human rights could not help any cardinal at a moment like that.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His big break came in 1992 when an aging cardinal plucked him from his outback and persuaded the Vatican to make him a bishop.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He thrust the Cardinal's mantle into it, and stood over the smouldering cloth, till the whole was consumed to ashes.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Before his rencontre with Ripperda at the Cardinal's, he had penetrated all the secrets of the Altheim apartments.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The Cardinal then hinted, that Wharton had vanished on some occult mission, to circumvent the Italian investiture.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
I saw Cardinal de Giovenozzo this morning; and he tells me that Wharton has disappeared.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
He was taken up for dead; and Richelieu and the Cardinal conjured me to hush the affair.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for cardinal

cardinal

/ (ˈkɑːdɪnəl) /

noun

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

Also called: cardinal red a deep vivid red colour

See cardinal number

Also called: cardinal grosbeak, (US) 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

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

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

adjective

(usually prenominal) fundamentally important; principalcardinal sin

of a deep vivid red colour

astrology of or relating to the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and CapricornCompare mutable (def. 2), fixed (def. 10)

Derived forms of cardinal

cardinally, adverb

Word Origin for cardinal

C13: from Latin cardinālis, literally: relating to a hinge, hence, that on which something depends, principal, from cardō hinge

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cardinal

Origin of cardinal

OTHER WORDS FROM cardinal

Words nearby cardinal

Words related to cardinal

How to use cardinal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cardinal

Derived forms of cardinal

Word Origin for cardinal