CARDINAL VIRTUE Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

cardinal virtue

noun

Definition of cardinal virtue

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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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 virtue Tolerance became the cardinal virtue of modern liberalism, but tolerance cannot sustain a civilization. — Carolyn McKinney, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025 Courage, self-discipline, and AI The other two cardinal virtues (there are four in all) are courage and self-discipline. — 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal virtue

Noun

Those firms that subordinated customer value to residual claims frequently paid a price; those who reversed the order compounded advantage.

— Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Trust, financing, developer communities, standards, commercial partnerships, and diplomatic credibility have become competitive advantages in their own right.

— Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of advantage

Noun

The recent disclosures illustrate how quickly those distinctions can become politically significant.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026
Canyon Crest Academy La Jolla comes off its first San Diego Section Open Division championship, while Cathedral Catholic holds the distinction of becoming the first San Diego Section school to reach the Southern California Regional Division 1 final.

— Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of distinction

Noun

For now, though, soccer’s civil war appears to be heading toward an entrenched standoff of ideas and values.

— Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
South Africa's utility, Eskom, plans to develop a 1-gigawatt solar manufacturing facility to capture more value from its fast-expanding solar market and respond to changing electricity demand.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of value

Noun

Others argue that the primary driver of the disconnect is people’s unwillingness to abandon their beliefs in merit – that wealth is the product of hard work, talent and risk.

— Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Conditioning public employment on political loyalty, where a party card rather than merit opens the door to a government job, is a way of life in Havana and Caracas.

— Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of merit

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“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cardinal virtue

noun

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