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
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
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
Prudence, or practical wisdom, is the foremost among the cardinal virtues.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 14 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
Andrew Abela, Forbes.com, 24 July 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
Prudence, or practical wisdom, is the foremost among the cardinal virtues.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 14 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
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Do rules reflect actual AI usage patterns among teens? Equity Access: Can all students access the same AI tools, or do policies create advantages for families with premium subscriptions?—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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The teams are ranked third and fourth in the Western Conference standings, with Minnesota holding a three-point advantage with 41 points.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Food makers argue that this distinction demonstrates that titanium dioxide is not like other dyes.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
8 Aug. 2025
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This distinction arose not just from a difference in age, but from a difference in responsibility.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And both the book and the film offered historically nonsensical versions of the Klan as an honorable and chivalrous group fighting for social justice and the virtue of white womanhood.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
15 Aug. 2025
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That might sound sadistic; indeed, sadism is something of a Hitchcockian virtue.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While vehicle theft claims don’t distinguish between full vehicle versus partial theft, the report's methodology considered the monetary value lost as result of the theft.—
Stuart Dyos,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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The Detroit native’s willingness to collaborate with the popular skincare brand was directly tied to his wife’s affinity for the brand as well as its alignment with his own values.—
Kenneth J. Williams Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Tony Award-winning show — about three friends who debate the merits of a ridiculously expensive painting — was written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
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Prosecutors said the claim had no merit and after arguing it in court, that defense was excluded from the case.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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