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
For some, artificial intelligence was the cardinal antagonist of 2024.
—
Jason Parham, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2024
The drama is anchored by the voting itself—the elaborate formalities with which the cardinal electors, of whom (in real life) there are a hundred and twenty-one, cast their ballots, requiring a two-thirds vote to yield a winner.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
As the disease worsens, cardinal symptoms include cough with or without phlegm and breathlessness, especially with exertion.
—Soma Mandal, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2025
What's next: McElroy is set to replace retiring cardinal Wilton Gregory in D.C. in March.
—Kate Murphy, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cardinal
Jason Parham, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2024
The drama is anchored by the voting itself—the elaborate formalities with which the cardinal electors, of whom (in real life) there are a hundred and twenty-one, cast their ballots, requiring a two-thirds vote to yield a winner.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
As the disease worsens, cardinal symptoms include cough with or without phlegm and breathlessness, especially with exertion.
—Soma Mandal, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2025
What's next: McElroy is set to replace retiring cardinal Wilton Gregory in D.C. in March.
—Kate Murphy, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cardinal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal
Adjective
-
Everybody plays numerous parts, assigned without regard to gender (there’s even a cameo for Fleming), but the anchors are Cumming’s Cholmondeley, the nerd who came up the audacious idea, and Hodgson’s Montagu, the operation’s main manager and salesman.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The group seized South Kivu’s main airport, severing the Congolese army's final resupply route.—
Emmet Livingstone,
The Dial,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
His primary motive in life is to make money and get laid.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Mulgrew began his career at Glentoran, Linfield’s primary Belfast rivals.—
Colin Millar,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Jewish faith is predominant throughout the musical — references to certain prayers are made, Yiddish phrases are baked into the dialogue, and many Jewish traditions are brought to life on stage.—
Carolina del Busto,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Practical implications In practice, much of the federal government’s day to day functioning will likely remain the same since English is already the predominant language used in the country, experts said.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Othering is a social phenomenon where individuals or groups are perceived and treated as fundamentally different from a dominant or in-group.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The largest outer square can reflect the dominant wall or upholstery color (60%), the mid-tone middle square can be used for key furniture pieces or millwork (30%), and the smallest inner square makes for perfect accents—think pillows, art, or a bold door color (10%).—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the world’s foremost JFK assassination experts thinks there’s nothing in the mountains of classified government files that President Donald Trump ordered released this week that points away from Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone gunman that sunny day in Dallas 61 years ago.—
Josh Meyer,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Robert Brill, Brill Media Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
After several years of payments, your principal balance is now down to $250,000, leaving about 19.3 years (or approximately 232 months) on the loan.—
Mark Dennis,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
The film will start principal photography in this month in New Mexico.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the first episode, Lochlan watches Saxon undress and stares a little too long at him naked.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The Sins Of The Brother Of course, the most shocking moment in this episode is something that’s been setup from the very first episode.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In total, sharp bets caused lines to move by 2½ points or more on nine games with the biggest adjustment on Wisconsin from -23 to -16 vs. Montana.—
Jay Ginsbach,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Telefónica, one of Europe’s biggest telcos, has been instrumental in the digitalization and connectivity required for high-end productions.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share