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
These efforts embody the cardinal virtues of courageous citizenship: the experimental willingness to try new approaches and revise them, the reflective willingness to face history squarely, and the empathic willingness to find public value in the perspectives of those who differ from us.
—
Trygve Throntveit,
Time,
27 May 2026
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
Trygve Throntveit,
Time,
27 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal virtue
Noun
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Dalal said their son played there daily with his friends, taking advantage of a club policy that allows children under five to enter without a membership.
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The comedian, 38, best known for his role as the acerbic gay best friend Elliott Goss in HBO’s Search Party, chose our meeting place to take advantage of the balmy late-May weather and to say goodbye to the neighborhood.
Noun
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There's an important distinction between a role being loved by fans and a role being loved by the actress who played her, however.
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That distinction belonged to William McChesney Martin, who served from 1951 until early 1970.
Noun
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Light and Breezy One of the many virtues of the ’60s shift is its simplicity.
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Understanding character and how potential virtues can manifest as vices is a starting point; however, knowing is not enough.
Noun
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The surest way to move the fastest, have the greatest impact and capture the most value is to vertically integrate and execute on the full value chain end-to-end.
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By 58% to 42%, those surveyed said Americans were mostly separated by different values, not bound by shared ones.
Noun
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Wilkins was quick to defend her participation and her merits as a musical act.
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Cases granted certiorari move onto the merits stage.
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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