as in advantage
a quality that gives something special worth
the cardinal virtue of wool is that it retains its insulating properties even when wet
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Recent Examples of cardinal virtue
Practical wisdom, justice, and AI The cardinal virtues of practical wisdom and justice are the habits for deciding, fairly, what needs to be done.
—
Andrew Abela, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Aquinas also noted that each of these four cardinal virtues had several smaller virtues associated with them.
—Andrew Abela, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Doubt is a cardinal virtue in the sciences, which advance through skeptics’ willingness to question the experts.
—Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2020
Breaching tennis’ cardinal virtues of self-sufficiency and autonomy, the coach begins by telling this emotional woman to calm down.
—Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 11 Apr. 2018
Dialogue is one of their cardinal virtues, and most seemed determined to give Trump a hearing.
—Time, 25 Jan. 2018
Andrew Abela, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Aquinas also noted that each of these four cardinal virtues had several smaller virtues associated with them.
—Andrew Abela, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Doubt is a cardinal virtue in the sciences, which advance through skeptics’ willingness to question the experts.
—Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2020
Breaching tennis’ cardinal virtues of self-sufficiency and autonomy, the coach begins by telling this emotional woman to calm down.
—Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 11 Apr. 2018
Dialogue is one of their cardinal virtues, and most seemed determined to give Trump a hearing.
—Time, 25 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal virtue
Noun
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Boomsma said any traits the ants have evolved are adaptations driven by natural selection, and creating fitter hybrid workers provided a competitive advantage, allowing Iberian harvester ants to extend their range vastly.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Wave now hold a 6-2-1 advantage in the all-time regular season series.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The only Sacagawea dollar coin sold at the auction without the distinction of having been flown to space was sold for $120,000.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
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The biggest distinction is at coordinator.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ironically, the old-school virtues (honesty, excellent service, treating people right) are the edgiest competitive strategy in the cutthroat modern market.—
Boris Kontsevoi,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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William Osler, who practiced and taught medicine across the English-speaking world around the turn of the twentieth century, positioned aequanimitas—equanimity—as a primary virtue for physicians.—
Rachel Pearson,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The system yields superior thermoelectric performance and higher average ZT values than previously reported p-type AgCuTe materials.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
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For mainstream buyers seeking a capable 16-inch system, the key is timing—Dell’s ever-spinning carousel of deals can turn this safe bet into a standout value, earning it our Editors' Choice award for midrange desktop replacements.—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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All of those points, both separately and in tandem, can be (and have been) debunked on scientific grounds, but the initial reporting — as well as a substantial amount of follow-up reporting — focused on the provocative claims, not the scientific merits (or lack thereof) of the research.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
19 Sep. 2025
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Mehus did not have one on hand but was prepared to defend the M7 on its merits, praising the increased chamber pressure of eighty thousand pounds per square inch.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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