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
Tolerance became the cardinal virtue of modern liberalism, but tolerance cannot sustain a civilization.
—
Carolyn McKinney, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
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
Carolyn McKinney, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal virtue
Noun
-
Turn back the tape just a few weeks ago, to when the Five Stripes relinquished a 1-0 advantage in the final stretch to lose at home 2-1.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
-
Blackwood made the initial stop, but Faber was there at the edge of the crease and the puck went off the Minnesota defenseman’s body and into the net to restore the three-goal advantage.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Its kingless government, once a badge of distinction, had become normal in the mid-nineteenth-century Americas.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
That distinction is becoming more relevant as investors look to reduce counterparty risk and diversify away from purely digital or paper-based holdings.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
In that competition, loyalty is an expensive virtue.—
Wael Mahdi,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But patience can sometimes be a death knell in the playoffs, and Game 4 showed how a lack of it can be a virtue.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Belcher thinks that the 2026 midterm elections will be won not just on pocketbook issues but on values and character, and by bringing people together in a multiracial coalition.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
As the league experienced a growth spurt over the last few years, the value of franchises skyrocketed and the league’s appeal for TV rights dollars rose.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
But Tuesday night, the mayor joined Herbst and Glassman in denying Williams a customary 3% merit increase, which would have increased her pay by $10,815.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
While her sisters are dedicated to love and romance, however that may look to them, Mary mostly seems to tick between wanting to be left alone and wanting to be seen on her own merits.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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