# cardinal

/ˈkɑɹdənəɫ/ (US) · /kˈɑːdɪnəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cardinal
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. church official

noun · CEFR B2

a very high-ranking priest in the Roman Catholic Church who helps choose the Pope.

For teachers: a high-ranking official of the Roman Catholic Church, ranking below the pope and belonging to the college that elects him.

- The cardinals met in Rome to discuss the future of the church.
- The College of Cardinals convened in a secret conclave to elect a successor to the papacy.

### 2. red bird

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a North American songbird; the male is famous for its bright red feathers.

For teachers: any of several North American songbirds of the family Cardinalidae, specifically those with a prominent crest and red plumage.

- A bright red cardinal landed on the snowy branch of the tree.
- The northern cardinal is easily identifiable by its vibrant crimson feathers and distinctive black mask around the beak.

### 3. number

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a number used for counting, like one, two, or three.

For teachers: a number denoting quantity rather than order, such as 1, 2, or 3, as opposed to an ordinal number.

- The teacher explained that 'five' is a cardinal, but 'fifth' is an ordinal.
- In set theory, a cardinal represents the size of a set regardless of the order of its elements.

### 4. most important

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

of great importance; something that everything else depends on.

For teachers: of primary importance; fundamental or pivotal to a system or concept.

- The cardinal rule of the kitchen is to always wash your hands first.
- The diplomat stressed that respect for sovereignty was a cardinal principle of the new treaty.

### 5. bright red

adjective · CEFR C2 · Literary

having a deep, bright red color.

For teachers: of a deep, vivid red color, traditionally associated with the robes worn by church cardinals.

- She wore a cardinal silk dress that stood out in the crowd.
- The sunset painted the horizon in cardinal hues, fading slowly into a deep purple as night fell.

## Examples

- The cardinals met in Rome to elect a new Pope.
- A bright red cardinal landed on the snowy branch of the bird feeder this morning.
- While the theological influence of a cardinal is significant within the church hierarchy, the bird that shares its name is equally iconic in North American suburban folklore.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.