Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for "cardinal points"
Search instead for marginal pointless.
Synonyms

cardinal points

American  

plural noun

  1. the four chief directions of the compass; the north, south, east, and west points.


cardinal points British  

plural noun

  1. the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, and west

"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

Etymology

Origin of cardinal points

First recorded in 1540–50

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.

See Examples For:

Activists have dubbed Thursday’s demonstration in Lima as the Cuatro Suyos March, a reference to the four cardinal points of the Inca empire.

From Seattle Times Jan. 18, 2023

The arrangement of forms would also allow visitors to enter the museum from any one of the cardinal points, making the museum more accessible.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 26, 2019

The West is a concept, not a location: the United States, Germany and Japan, for instance, can all be Western in crucial ways — cultures, currencies and cardinal points be damned.

From Washington Post Jun. 15, 2017

Four of the muscles are arranged at the cardinal points around the eye and are named for those locations.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Set down with geometric precision at the cardinal points were four monumental slabs of the same alien metal as the citadel.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training