as in main
coming before all others in importance
the cardinal rule of medicine: do no harm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cardinal
Topline White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel just after 6 p.m. local time—indicating the cardinal electors have chosen a successor to Pope Francis, ending a two-day conclave more than two weeks after Francis died.
—
Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Pope Francis elevated him to be a cardinal Prevost's papal election is a full-circle moment, as the former pope himself elected him to be a cardinal a few years earlier.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 8 May 2025
The cardinal electors will resume voting on Thursday morning.
—Sarah Ventre, NPR, 7 May 2025
Pope Leo appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday evening local time after white smoke had billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cardinal
Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Pope Francis elevated him to be a cardinal Prevost's papal election is a full-circle moment, as the former pope himself elected him to be a cardinal a few years earlier.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 8 May 2025
The cardinal electors will resume voting on Thursday morning.
—Sarah Ventre, NPR, 7 May 2025
Pope Leo appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday evening local time after white smoke had billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cardinal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal
Adjective
-
The golden flying snake bears two main color morphs — a green-yellow form sports bold black streaks and occasional reddish dorsal spots, and another form where the same base hues are overlaid with subtler crossbars.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
It was later expanded to include four main ventilation channels (and some 50,000 smaller shafts) serving seven levels, which could be closed off from the inside with a large rolling stone.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The gluteus medius muscle, a smaller buttock muscle located underneath the gluteus maximus, is the primary muscle supporting the pelvis. 4.—
Aubrey Bailey,
Verywell Health,
5 June 2025
-
Joe Schoen and Daboll already are giving a ton of key players days and weeks off this spring, limiting the football that some of their primary contributors are playing.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the predominant theme of the debate was Cuomo facing attacks from the eight other candidates, who laced into him on everything from public safety and education to affordable housing production and the ex-governor’s integrity.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
-
Apparently natural selection among the Uru, Aymara and Quechua peoples of the Bolivian Altiplano took DNA sequences that are present but rare in other populations around the world and increased their frequency to the point where the normally uncommon sequences are predominant in these groups.—
Kermit Pattison,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Nathan struggled in limited playoff action, but few closers in MLB history have been as consistently dominant in the regular season.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
-
Junior pitcher Kayla Schweich, a St. Cloud State commit, has been dominant in the circle for much of the year for Farmington, with Lexi Goring and Wisconsin commit Lila Johannsen filling out a lethal top of the order.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
The foremost conflict playing out across the Middle East today is between Israel and Iran, a nation that already possesses a sophisticated and large-scale nuclear program.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Any of the handful of candidates Collins and principal owner Scott Malkin spoke to this past month would have represented a monumental change for an organization whose last two GMs were hired after one-person searches.—
Arthur Staple,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
The fiesta patronal of La Virgen de la Puerta begins annually on Dec. 14, with the principal day observed on Dec. 15, and concludes on Dec. 16.—
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch,
The Conversation,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Adding to the shock factor of this particular comeback was how badly Indiana handled the ball in the first half.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
Five years after the first trial in 1342, Hugh Colne was convicted of being one of the men to stab Forde in the stomach and sentenced to the notorious Newgate Prison.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
-
What have the offers looked like since this past season hit so big?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share