plural cardinals
1
: a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is appointed by him to assist him as a member of the college of cardinals (see college sense 6)
2
: cardinal number
—usually used in plural
3
a
[from its color, resembling that of the cardinal's robes]
: a crested finch (Cardinalis cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae) of the eastern U.S. and adjacent Canada, the southwestern U.S., and Mexico to Belize which has a black face and heavy red bill in both sexes and is nearly completely red in the male
b
: any of several red-headed passerine birds (genus Paroaria of the family Thraupidae) of South America and the West Indies that are grayish to blackish above with white underparts
1
: of basic importance
a cardinal principle
2
: very serious or grave
a cardinal sin
cardinally
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share