cardinal sin
noun
: a very bad or serious sin in Christianity
—often used figuratively or humorously
Giving false information is a cardinal sin in news reporting.
He committed the cardinal sin of criticizing his boss.
Examples of cardinal sin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Aside from looking like the whole thing was written and produced by her staff, Melania makes the cardinal sin of just being simply, butt-numbingly boring, especially in the forever-taking last act of sitting through the inauguration all over again in eye-drooping detail.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
This is an interesting choice of sin, because the failure to cop to inconvenient truths is precisely the cardinal sin of Vigil itself: the refusal to let Jill or Boone become more complex than cartoons.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Steven made the cardinal sin of telling Sage to gain trust with her.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
In science, making up data is a cardinal sin.
—Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 18 Nov. 2025
An attack by civilians on the army headquarters is the sort of cardinal sin the military is unlikely to forgive, regardless of clever lawyers and convincing legal arguments.
—Rafia Zakaria, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
To lose it is the cardinal sin in Hollywood.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The nutria’s cardinal sin, however, is gluttony.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
And the very thought of chucking a book into the garbage simply because of its unsightly cover, or lack thereof, is a cardinal sin.
—Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
This is an interesting choice of sin, because the failure to cop to inconvenient truths is precisely the cardinal sin of Vigil itself: the refusal to let Jill or Boone become more complex than cartoons.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Steven made the cardinal sin of telling Sage to gain trust with her.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
In science, making up data is a cardinal sin.
—Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 18 Nov. 2025
An attack by civilians on the army headquarters is the sort of cardinal sin the military is unlikely to forgive, regardless of clever lawyers and convincing legal arguments.
—Rafia Zakaria, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
To lose it is the cardinal sin in Hollywood.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The nutria’s cardinal sin, however, is gluttony.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
And the very thought of chucking a book into the garbage simply because of its unsightly cover, or lack thereof, is a cardinal sin.
—Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardinal%20sin. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
