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

The Red Sox tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh on Abreu’s sacrifice fly and Masataka Yoshida’s RBI single for a 7-3 advantage.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Good luck with that message in flyover country when the revolutionaries don’t enjoy the advantages of light-turnout primaries.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Definition of advantage

Noun

The new bill has a broader base of legislative support and instead uses the preference distinction to incentivize hiring former convicts as opposed to the 15% quota.

— Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
That distinction is beginning to blur, and Nvidia may be quietly dipping its toes in the water of optics for a scale-up.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 9 July 2026

Definition of distinction

Noun

ParaZero believes the platform can protect both moving vehicles and stationary high-value assets without adding the weight penalties associated with conventional protective structures.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
For years, African leaders have argued that value addition should apply to minerals, not just raw ore.

— Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of value

Noun

The irony here is that if the referee had not shown a yellow card to Paredes, the incident could not have been reviewed on the merits of Embolo’s dive alone.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 12 July 2026
As an especially commercial form of feminism began to flourish, these sites debated its merits.

— Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 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 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cardinal virtue

noun

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