cardinal virtue

SEE SYNONYMS FOR cardinal virtue ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

anything considered to be an important or characteristic virtue: Tenacity is his cardinal virtue.

cardinal virtues, Ancient Philosophy. justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude.

Words nearby cardinal virtue

cardinal symptom, cardinal system, cardinal tetra, cardinal trait, cardinal veins, cardinal virtue, cardinal virtues, cardinal vowel, cardinal vowels, cardinalate, cardinalfish

Origin of cardinal virtue

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for cardinal virtues

cardinal virtues

pl n

the most important moral qualities, traditionally justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude

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