cardinal
cardinal — noun
1. a senior church leader in Catholicism, appointed by the Pope, who belongs to a g
a senior church leader in Catholicism, appointed by the Pope, who belongs to a group that advises him and chooses a new leader when the position becomes vacant.
The cardinal delivered a speech at the Vatican about helping poor communities.
countable noun with definite article
A group of cardinals met in secret to discuss the future of the Church.
plural form: cardinals
Cardinal Okafor spent many years working as a priest before being chosen for the role.
Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square when the cardinals chose the new Pope.
The archbishop hoped to be named a cardinal before he turned seventy.
- archbishop
a high-ranking bishop who oversees an archdiocese, but not as high as a cardinal
- bishop
a lower rank than cardinal; oversees a diocese
- prelate
a general term for a high-ranking church official, broader than cardinal
文法句型
the + cardinal
a + cardinal + of + the Church
用法筆記
When used as a title before a name, capitalise the C: Cardinal Okafor, Cardinal Chen. The Pope appoints cardinals, who together form the College of Cardinals.
常見錯誤
2. a counting number like 1, 2, or 3 that indicates quantity, rather than an ordina
a counting number like 1, 2, or 3 that indicates quantity, rather than an ordinal number (1st, 2nd, 3rd) that shows a position in a sequence.
The teacher asked the children to write the cardinal numbers from one to twenty.
cardinal + number collocation
Five is a cardinal number, but fifth is an ordinal number.
contrasting cardinal vs. ordinal
Priya explained that cardinal numbers answer the question 'how many?'.
When Leila counted the apples, she used only cardinal numbers: one, two, three.
A card game uses cardinal numbers for the score and ordinal numbers for each round.
- counting number
more informal way to say the same thing; used especially in primary education
- natural number
a mathematical term for positive whole numbers; broader than cardinal number
- ordinal number
a number showing position in a sequence (1st, 2nd, 3rd), the direct opposite of cardinal number
文法句型
cardinal number + noun
the cardinal numbers
用法筆記
Cardinal numbers are the everyday counting numbers (one, two, three...) that answer 'how many?'. Ordinal numbers (first, second, third...) answer 'which position?'. In grammar, the term 'cardinal number' is used in both Maths and English language teaching.
常見錯誤
3. a medium-sized North American bird with a pointed crest on its head and a stubby
a medium-sized North American bird with a pointed crest on its head and a stubby beak; the male's plumage is a vivid red, while the female is mostly brown with some reddish tones.
A bright red cardinal landed on the feeder outside Hana's kitchen window.
countable noun with colour description
Cardinals do not migrate in winter, so their red feathers stand out against the snow.
The male cardinal sings a loud whistling song to mark its territory.
Tomás spotted a female cardinal building a nest in the bush near the garage.
Many people in the eastern United States recognise the cardinal as their state bird.
- redbird
an informal alternative name for the same bird, common in everyday US speech
文法句型
a + cardinal
the + cardinal + has/feeds on
用法筆記
The name 'cardinal' is also used for a vivid red colour, named after the bird's feathers. Some US states (Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and others) have the cardinal as their official state bird. This sense is primarily used in North America.
cardinal — adjective
1. extremely important or fundamental, forming the basis for other things — for exa
extremely important or fundamental, forming the basis for other things — for example, a cardinal rule of driving is paying attention to the road at all times.
One cardinal rule of photography is to keep the camera steady.
collocation: cardinal rule
In business, revealing confidential information is considered a cardinal sin.
collocation: cardinal sin
Respect for human dignity is a cardinal principle of international law.
The cardinal virtue of honesty was taught to the children from an early age.
A cardinal point of the debate was whether the new law would protect individual freedoms.
- fundamental
similar strength of importance, but more common in everyday contexts; can be used both before and after the noun
- essential
slightly less formal; suggests necessity rather than foundational importance
- vital
implies something is needed for survival or success; slightly more urgent than cardinal
- paramount
means 'most important'; even stronger than cardinal in hierarchical contexts
文法句型
cardinal + noun
a cardinal + principle/rule/sin
用法筆記
The adjective 'cardinal' is almost always used before a noun (attributive position) and appears in a small set of fixed collocations: cardinal rule, cardinal sin, cardinal principle, cardinal virtue. These are the most common uses. It is not used predicatively — we do not say 'This rule is cardinal.' It has a formal, emphatic tone.