cardinal sin
noun
: a very bad or serious sin in Christianity
—often used figuratively or humorously
Giving false information is a cardinal sin in news reporting.
He committed the cardinal sin of criticizing his boss.
Examples of cardinal sin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But that doesn’t mean that artificially sugared sodas, retail consumption, or social media are depraved, worthless activities akin to the cardinal sin of sloth or the tragic spiral of heroin addiction.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
That's a cardinal sin in this league.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
There are any number of things the school could do to support his recovery — honoring his scholarship, setting him up with the best doctors and counselors — that do not include letting a guy who violated the cardinal sin of sports be their starting quarterback.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Betting on one’s team is a cardinal sin in sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026
To release a Black song with no bass line was seen as a cardinal sin.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
Brian Wysol and his collaborators (producers of Robot Chicken and Rick and Morty) commit the cardinal sin of trying to be weird and failing in an uninteresting way.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
However, failing to infuse this team with appreciably more talent in the coming weeks, and thereby denying the Pats a real chance to march through the gauntlet that is their 2026 schedule, would be a cardinal sin of contending.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Aside from looking like the whole thing was written and produced by her staff, Melania makes the cardinal sin of just being simply, butt-numbingly boring, especially in the forever-taking last act of sitting through the inauguration all over again in eye-drooping detail.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
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.
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
That's a cardinal sin in this league.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
There are any number of things the school could do to support his recovery — honoring his scholarship, setting him up with the best doctors and counselors — that do not include letting a guy who violated the cardinal sin of sports be their starting quarterback.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Betting on one’s team is a cardinal sin in sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026
To release a Black song with no bass line was seen as a cardinal sin.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
Brian Wysol and his collaborators (producers of Robot Chicken and Rick and Morty) commit the cardinal sin of trying to be weird and failing in an uninteresting way.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
However, failing to infuse this team with appreciably more talent in the coming weeks, and thereby denying the Pats a real chance to march through the gauntlet that is their 2026 schedule, would be a cardinal sin of contending.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Aside from looking like the whole thing was written and produced by her staff, Melania makes the cardinal sin of just being simply, butt-numbingly boring, especially in the forever-taking last act of sitting through the inauguration all over again in eye-drooping detail.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardinal%20sin. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
