cardinal virtue
Americannoun
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anything considered to be an important or characteristic virtue.
Tenacity is his cardinal virtue.
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Ancient Philosophy. cardinal virtues, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude.
Etymology
Origin of cardinal virtue
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I heard that forgiveness is a cardinal virtue for Hindus," I said.
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2021
Doubt is a cardinal virtue in the sciences, which advance through skeptics’ willingness to question the experts.
From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2020
Truth was the cardinal virtue of Zoroastrianism, with lying being synonymous with evil.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020
At Cravath, staying out of the media was a cardinal virtue.
From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2018
As she would offer no explanation of her lateness, she was given a page of French poetry to learn, to teach her next time to regard punctuality as a cardinal virtue.
From The School by the Sea by Brazil, Angela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
