cardinal

[ kahr-dn-l ]

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church. a high ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Also called red-head·ed car·di·nal [red, -hed-id , kahr, -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.
5. Also called Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an frit·il·lar·y [med-i-t, uh, -, rey, -nee-, uh, n , frit, -l-er-ee]. a spotted, orange nymphalid butterfly with a green underside, Argynnis pandora, found throughout southern Europe and some adjoining regions of Asia and northern Africa.
6. a deep, rich red color.
7. a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.
8. cardinal number.

adjective

1. of prime importance; chief; principal:

   of cardinal significance.

2. of the color cardinal.

cardinal

/ ˈkɑːdɪnəl /

noun

1. 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
2. Also calledcardinal red a deep vivid red colour
3. See cardinal number
   See cardinal number
4. Also calledcardinal grosbeakUSredbird a crested North American bunting, Richmondena (or Pyrrhuloxia ) cardinalis, the male of which has a bright red plumage and the female a brown one
5. a fritillary butterfly, Pandoriana pandora, found in meadows of southern Europe
6. a woman's hooded shoulder cape worn in the 17th and 18th centuries

adjective

1. usually prenominal fundamentally important; principal

   cardinal sin

2. of a deep vivid red colour
3. See fixed, mutable
   astrology of or relating to the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn Compare mutable fixed

Derived Forms

• ˈcardinally, adverb

Other Words From

• car·di·nal·ly adverb
• car·di·nal·ship noun
• in·ter·car·di·nal adjective
• post·car·di·nal adjective
• sub·car·di·nal adjective
• sub·car·di·nal·ly adverb
• un·car·di·nal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardinal¹

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; -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardinal¹

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

Example Sentences

His latest pronouncement supporting civil unions is a rehashed stance as cardinal in Argentina.

From Washington Blade

Fill it with a variety of nonaggressive fish—like neon and cardinal tetras—and cute aquarium decor.

From Popular-Science

Defenses may have overreacted to dribble penetration, violating the cardinal rule of never helping off the strongside corner.

From FiveThirtyEight

Krajewski is one of the youngest cardinals in the world, aged 56, and he said that this is what Jesus would have done.

From 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.

From No Straight News

“Light trumps darkness, hope beats despair, grace wins over sin, love defeats hate, life conquers death,” the cardinal said.

From The Daily Beast

He quotes an unnamed cardinal saying that the conclave voters knew the charges were false.

From The Daily Beast

Elisabetta Piqué, who knew Bergoglio well as a cardinal, writes in the present tense as if to convey real time passing.

From The Daily Beast

And yet, a dossier of allegations involving human rights could not help any cardinal at a moment like that.

From The 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.

From The Daily Beast

He thrust the Cardinal's mantle into it, and stood over the smouldering cloth, till the whole was consumed to ashes.

From Project Gutenberg

Before his rencontre with Ripperda at the Cardinal's, he had penetrated all the secrets of the Altheim apartments.

From Project Gutenberg

The Cardinal then hinted, that Wharton had vanished on some occult mission, to circumvent the Italian investiture.

From Project Gutenberg

I saw Cardinal de Giovenozzo this morning; and he tells me that Wharton has disappeared.

From Project Gutenberg

He was taken up for dead; and Richelieu and the Cardinal conjured me to hush the affair.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• overriding