Pronunciation: /ˈkɑrdnəl/
noun a high-ranking ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church
A1 The cardinal flew from tree to tree.
A2 The cardinal is a type of bird with bright red feathers.
B1 In the Catholic Church, a cardinal is a high-ranking official.
B2 The cardinal rule of the game is to always play fair.
C1 The cardinal points on a compass are north, south, east, and west.
C2 The cardinal sin of greed led to his downfall.
adjective of foremost importance; paramount
A1 The cardinal rule of safety is to always wear your seatbelt.
A2 She made a cardinal mistake by leaving her phone unlocked.
B1 The cardinal direction of north is important for navigation.
B2 The cardinal sin of the company was not listening to customer feedback.
C1 The cardinal principle of democracy is the right to free speech.
C2 The cardinal virtue of patience is often overlooked in today's fast-paced world.
formal The cardinal presented the official decree to the king.
informal I saw the cardinal at the church service yesterday.
slang That cardinal is always dressed to the nines.
figurative Honesty is a cardinal virtue in any relationship.
cardinaled
cardinals
more cardinal
most cardinal
cardinals
will cardinal
have cardinaled
is cardinalling
cardinal
cardinal
to cardinal
cardinaling
cardinalled