¹cardinal

noun car·di·nal \ˈkärd-nəl, ˈkär-də-\

: a priest of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks immediately below the Pope

: a common North American bird

Full Definition of CARDINAL

: a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is appointed by him to assist him as a member of the college of cardinals

: cardinal number —usually used in plural

[from its color, resembling that of the cardinal's robes] : a crested finch (Cardinalis cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae) of the eastern United States and adjacent Canada, the southwestern United States, and Mexico to Belize which has a black face and heavy red bill in both sexes and is nearly completely red in the male

— car·di·nal·ship \-ˌship\ noun

See cardinal defined for English-language learners

See cardinal defined for kids

Illustration of CARDINAL

Origin of CARDINAL

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin cardinalis, from Late Latin cardinalis, adjective

First Known Use: 12th century

Other Birds Terms

aerie, bunting, clutch, covey, hackle, ratite, rictus, ruff, skein, zygodactyl

²cardinal

adjective

: basic or most important

Full Definition of CARDINAL

: of basic importance <a cardinal principle>

: very serious or grave <a cardinal sin>

— car·di·nal·ly adverb

See cardinal defined for English-language learners

Origin of CARDINAL

Middle English, from Late Latin cardinalis, from Latin, serving as a hinge, from cardin-, cardo hinge

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CARDINAL

Synonyms: arch, big, capital, foremost, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supreme

Antonyms: last, least

Synonym Discussion of CARDINAL

essential, fundamental, vital, cardinal mean so important as to be indispensable. essential implies belonging to the very nature of a thing and therefore being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself or its character <conflict is essential in drama>. fundamental applies to something that is a foundation without which an entire system or complex whole would collapse <fundamental principles of algebra>. vital suggests something that is necessary to a thing's continued existence or operation <cut off from vital supplies>. cardinal suggests something on which an outcome turns or depends <a cardinal rule in buying a home>.

CARDINAL[1] Defined for Kids

¹cardinal

noun car·di·nal \ˈkärd-nəl, ˈkär-də-\

Definition of CARDINAL for Kids

: a high official of the Roman Catholic Church ranking next below the pope

: a bright red songbird with a crest and a whistling call

²cardinal

adjective

Definition of CARDINAL for Kids

: of first importance : main, principal <Arnold Jones had apparently forgotten one of the cardinal rules of survival … — Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee>