cardinal virtue

noun

Definition of cardinal virtuenext
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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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 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
  1. advantage
  2. distinction
  3. virtue
  4. value
  5. merit
Noun
  • Galatasaray squandered a 5-2 first-leg lead against Juventus in last season’s knockout play-off round, despite having a man advantage for most of the game.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Podded propulsion offers particular advantages in this environment.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of advantage
Noun
  • Benton holds a unique distinction in baseball history as the only pitcher to face both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The distinction matters because older Claude models showed limited ability to support sophisticated biological research.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of distinction
Noun
  • When late summer rolls around, Taylor Fritz joins a chorus of Americans in extoling the virtues of hard courts and talking about how the North American swing is his favorite time of year.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Though eventually abandoned due to cost, this system of surveillance endeavored to equate producers with virtue.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of virtue
Noun
  • Republicans and Democrats alike have faced anger from voters anxious about the impact a data center built in their community will have on utility bills, property values, and quality of life.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2026
  • SpaceX got the rest of the contracts, with 22 launches booked on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets for a total value of $4 billion.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of value
Noun
  • Mosley was initially encouraged by the judge's decision to deny the defendants' motion to dismiss, taking it as a signal her fraud accusations could have merit.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Nowhere in the world do nonprofessionals (strictly speaking) merit the attention that the college football player here does.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of merit

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Cite this Entry

“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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