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
-
While visiting Shoshone, take advantage of scenic drives to some of the surrounding sites.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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But the 34-year-old right-hander couldn’t hold Kansas City’s slim advantage for the entirety of his outing.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The distinction was particularly evident in Pacific Palisades, where residents are still navigating the aftermath of the devastating 2025 wildfire, and rebuilding has been slow.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
-
But the exhibition and the scholarship, though occasionally a bit fawning, show why the value of Lewis’s art doesn’t hang on these distinctions.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Past philosophers, such as Aristotle, emphasized the necessity of virtue in both the people and their rulers, and Montesquieu argued that virtue was the defining principle of republics.—
Jordan Cash,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
As progressives have begun to fear that the American system might in fact be lost, many have rediscovered its virtues.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Sneaking the scraps out the back door for their children showed that those working in the enslaver’s home gave value and meaning to leftovers for our children.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Expect temperatures to climb into the low 90s, with a heat index or feels-like value in the upper 90s by the afternoon.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Before 2025, the foundation also recruited outside experts – typically university researchers – to weigh in on the merits of nearly every funding proposal.—
Remy Dou,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
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While the relative merits of their basketball bona fides can be—and most definitely have been—argued ad nauseam, James spoke up on uncomfortable topics.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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