cardinal

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈkɑɹdɪnəl/ UK /ˈkɑː.dɪ.nəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #6670

Meanings

1

adj
serving as an essential component

A cardinal rule.
2

adj
being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order

Cardinal numbers.
3

adj
Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

A cardinal rule.
4

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

A cardinal mark.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · serving as an essential... central

Word family

Forms cardinals

Derived forms anticardinalcardinal-nephewcardinalatecardinalfishcardinalhoodcardinaliccardinalincardinalitialcardinalitycardinalizecardinallycardinalship

Related forms card

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

cardinal rule
a rule considered fundamental and especially important to follow

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Cardinal derives from Latin cardinalis, from cardo, meaning “hinge.” Both the adjective meaning “fundamental” or “most important” and the title for a senior Roman Catholic priest developed from the image of something pivotal, on which other things turn or depend.

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin cardō Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin cardinālisder. Middle French cardinalbor. English cardinal From Middle French cardinal, from Latin cardinālis (“pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends, important, principal, chief”), from cardin-, cardō (“hinge”) + -ālis, adjectival suffix.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# cardinal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɑɹdɪnəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɑː.dɪ.nəl/
**Frequency rank:** 6670

## Meanings
1. serving as an essential component
2. being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order
3. Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
4. Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).

## Examples
- A cardinal rule.
- Cardinal numbers.
- A cardinal rule.
- A cardinal mark.

## Derived Forms
- anticardinal
- cardinal-nephew
- cardinalate
- cardinalfish
- cardinalhood
- cardinalic
- cardinalin
- cardinalitial
- cardinality
- cardinalize
- cardinally
- cardinalship

## Related Forms
- card

## Etymology
Etymology tree Latin cardō Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin cardinālisder. Middle French cardinalbor. English cardinal From Middle French cardinal, from Latin cardinālis (“pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends, important, principal, chief”), from cardin-, cardō (“hinge”) + -ālis, adjectival suffix.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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