Definitions for cardinal
ˈkɑr dn lcar·di·nal

Princeton's WordNet(2.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. cardinal(noun)

   (Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes

2. cardinal number, cardinal(noun)

   the number of elements in a mathematical set; denotes a quantity but not the order

3. cardinal, carmine(noun)

   a variable color averaging a vivid red

4. cardinal, cardinal grosbeak, Richmondena Cardinalis, Cardinalis cardinalis, redbird(adj)

   crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male

5. cardinal, central, fundamental, key, primal(adj)

   serving as an essential component

   "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"

6. cardinal(adj)

   being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order

   "cardinal numbers"

GCIDE(2.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Cardinal(n.)

   the cardinal bird, also called the northern cardinal.

   Etymology: [F. carinal, It. cardinale, LL. cardinalis (ecclesi Roman). See Cardinal, a.]

Wiktionary(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. cardinal(Noun)

   A number indicating quantity, or the size of a set, e.g., one, two, three. (See Wikipedia article on Cardinal number.)

   The commonest numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals"...and the "ordinals"... u2014 F. M. Wheelock, Wheelock's Latin, 6th ed. revised (2005), p97

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

2. cardinal(Noun)

   An official in the Catholic Church, ranking only below the Pope and the patriarchs. (See Wikipedia article on Catholic cardinals.)

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

3. cardinal(Noun)

   A songbird of the finch family, Cardinalis cardinalis.

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

4. cardinal(Noun)

   Any of various related passerine birds of the family Cardinalidae. (See Wikipedia article on cardinal birds.)

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

5. cardinal(Adjective)

   Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

6. cardinal(Adjective)

   Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).

   a cardinal mark

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

7. cardinal(Adjective)

   Describing a "natural" number used to indicate quantity (e.g., one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

8. cardinal(Adjective)

   Having a bright red color (from the color of a Catholic cardinal's cassock).

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

9. Cardinal(Noun)

   A player on the team "The St. Louis Cardinals".

   The commonest numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals"...and the "ordinals"... u2014 F. M. Wheelock, Wheelock's Latin, 6th ed. revised (2005), p97

   Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

10. Cardinal(Noun)

    A player on the team "Arizona Cardinals".

    Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

11. Cardinal(Noun)

    A sports team or a player on a sports team at Stanford University.

    Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

12. Cardinal(Noun)

    A student or player on a sports team at the University of Louisville.

    Etymology: From cardinal, from cardinalis, from cardo + -alis.

Webster Dictionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Cardinal(adj)

   of fundamental importance; preeminent; superior; chief; principal

   Etymology: [L. cardinalis, fr. cardo the hinge of a door, that on which a thing turns or depends: cf. F. cardinal.]

2. Cardinal(adj)

   one of the ecclesiastical princes who constitute the pope's council, or the sacred college

   Etymology: [L. cardinalis, fr. cardo the hinge of a door, that on which a thing turns or depends: cf. F. cardinal.]

3. Cardinal(adj)

   a woman's short cloak with a hood

   Etymology: [L. cardinalis, fr. cardo the hinge of a door, that on which a thing turns or depends: cf. F. cardinal.]

4. Cardinal(adj)

   mulled red wine

   Etymology: [L. cardinalis, fr. cardo the hinge of a door, that on which a thing turns or depends: cf. F. cardinal.]

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Cardinal

   A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available individually or in groups to the pope if he requests their counsel. Most cardinals have additional duties, such as leading a diocese or archdiocese or running a department of the Roman Curia. A cardinal's other main function is electing the pope whenever, by death or resignation, the see becomes vacant. In 1059, the right of electing the pope was reserved to the principal clergy of Rome and the bishops of the seven suburbicarian sees. During the sede vacante, the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Church as a whole is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. The right to enter the conclave of cardinals who elect the pope is now limited to those who have not reached the age of 80 years by the day of the pope's death or resignation. The term cardinal at one time applied to any priest permanently assigned or incardinated to a church, or specifically to the senior priest of an important church, based on the Latin cardo, meaning "principal" or "chief". The term was applied in this sense as early as the ninth century to the priests of the tituli of the diocese of Rome. A remnant of these earlier cardinals is retained by the Church of England, where the title of "cardinal" is still held by the two senior members of the College of Minor Canons of St Paul's Cathedral.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Cardinal

   kär′din-al, adj. denoting that on which a thing hinges or depends: principal; of a deep scarlet colour, like a cardinal's cassock.—n. one of the seventy princes of the church constituting the sacred college at Rome, to whom pertains the right of electing a new pope: a short cloak, formerly worn by ladies.—ns. Car′dinalate, Car′dinalship, the office or dignity of a cardinal; Car′dinal-bird, a species of grosbeak, one of the finest song-birds of America, probably so called from its red plumage.—adv. Car′dinally, fundamentally: (Shak., Measure for Measure, II. i. 81) carnally.—Cardinal flower (see Lobelia); Cardinal numbers, numbers expressing how many; Cardinal points, the four chief points of the compass—north, south, east, and west; Cardinal virtues, justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude, so called because the whole of human nature was supposed to hinge or turn upon them—the natural as distinguished from the theological virtues. [Fr.—L. cardinalis—cardo, cardinis, a hinge.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. cardinal

   Song lyrics by cardinal -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by cardinal on the Lyrics.com website.

Anagrams for cardinal »

1. Clarinda

How to pronounce cardinal?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say cardinal in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of cardinal in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of cardinal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of cardinal in a Sentence

1. Anuj Somany:

   A person gets the people around oneself not by own desire or wish, but as who s/he character-wise is. That's perhaps the first cardinal rule of Karma.

2. Edward McFadden:

   Cardinal Wuerl has spoken extensively over the past two months, conveyed Cardinal Wuerl profound sadness, apologies and contrition, and addressed every issue as it has arisen in a straightforward and transparent manner.

3. Paul Nickel:

   I always knew he was going to be some type of leader in some way. He was entrepreneurial, very engaging, when Paul Nickel're at Stanford Cardinal, Paul Nickel run across a lot of guys like Stanford Cardinal.

4. Anuj Somany:

   Doubt the very first the person who preaches the people to not doubt anything and anyone as that's the cardinal rule in security and surveillance department to find out the ground reality.

5. Matthew Collins:

   I am at a loss to understand how they could have scandalized the court, they didn't reference the cardinal, just referred to the fact that there was a broader story that could not be told.

Images & Illustrations of cardinal

Popularity rank by frequency of use