Meaning & use
the cardinal
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Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church, just below the Pope.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a cardinal' or 'the cardinals' for the group. Often used with a name: Cardinal Smith.
Patterns
- appoint someone as a cardinal
- be made a cardinal
- Cardinal + name
The Pope appointed three new cardinals last month.
Cardinal Murphy led the ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica.
The cardinals gathered in Rome to elect the next pope.
nouncountablebiology
A North American bird with bright red feathers and a pointed crest on its head.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'cardinals'. Often seen at bird feeders in winter.
Patterns
- a male cardinal
- see a cardinal
- cardinals at the feeder
A male cardinal sat on the fence, its red feathers bright against the snow.
We put out sunflower seeds and soon a pair of cardinals appeared.
The cardinal's song is one of the first sounds of spring.
adjectivebefore a noun
Of a deep, vivid red color, like the robes of a Catholic cardinal.
Grammar: Used before a noun: cardinal red. Not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- cardinal red
- a cardinal sweater
She wore a cardinal red scarf that stood out in the crowd.
The team's cardinal uniforms are a deep, rich red.
Word forms
| plural | cardinals |
|---|
Common combinations
- appoint a cardinal
- The Pope can appoint a cardinal at any time.
- cardinal sin
- In some religions, missing church on a holy day is considered a cardinal sin.
- cardinal red
- The walls were painted a warm cardinal red.
- a pair of cardinals
- A pair of cardinals built a nest in the hedge.
Synonyms and how they differ
- redbird
- A common name for the cardinal bird, especially in the southern US; less formal than 'cardinal'.
Word family
- cardinalate noun
- The rank or office of a cardinal; the group of all cardinals.
Commonly confused: the cardinal or cardinal?
the cardinal vs cardinal
Not to be confused with 'cardigan', a type of sweater. Also, 'cardinal' as a number means 'main' or 'most important' (e.g., cardinal rule), which is a different sense.
Practice
The Pope ______ three new cardinals at a ceremony in Rome.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'appoint' takes a direct object: appoint someone. 'Appointed to' is wrong because 'to' is not needed here. 'Was appointed' would mean the Pope himself was appointed, which is not the intended meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the cardinal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.