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
  • Koerte says this is where the longevity of Europe’s leading manufacturers could be an advantage.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Hawkeyes were held to just 238 yards as Ohio State, which had 484 yards, had almost a 17-minute advantage in time of possession.
    — John Bohnenkamp, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of advantage
Noun
  • Stillness, which had seemed ontologically secondary to the art form, now gained distinction as a substantive component.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The distinction matters in environments such as logistics and manufacturing, where productivity depends on throughput rather than simply completing an individual movement.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of distinction
Noun
  • New recruits and seasoned officers alike take field trips to the Museum of Tolerance, where trainers extol the virtues of multiculturalism.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Baek Ki-hyeon aspired to walk a path of virtue and provide for their sister through honest means — but his calculating spymaster big brother was never going to let them out of his grasp.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of virtue
Noun
  • Contrary to the traditional labor theory of value, which calculates the value of a good or service through the amount of labor required to produce it, Poliks and Trillo posit latency and delay to be the true sources of value.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • While such gifts can help to reinforce certain values, Pennington says that is not the only reason more people are choosing not to wait until after they’re gone to give away money.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of value
Noun
  • Active stock pickers must instead consider the merits of each holding against the prospect of higher rates.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Fair systems constrain defensive managers’ ability to manipulate ratings and reassure high performers that merit matters more than politics.
    — Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of merit

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cardinal virtue
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Cite this Entry

“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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