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
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
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
Carolyn McKinney,
Boston Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cardinal virtue
Noun
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The Red Sox tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh on Abreu’s sacrifice fly and Masataka Yoshida’s RBI single for a 7-3 advantage.
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Good luck with that message in flyover country when the revolutionaries don’t enjoy the advantages of light-turnout primaries.
Noun
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The film carries a further distinction as one of the first war features shot entirely in Bali.
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It is earned through transparency, verification, and a clear distinction between fact, inference, and speculation.
Noun
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In response, Capital One treats AI fluency as an organizational virtue, not an individual credential.
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The same amount of venality and virtue exists today as did back then, and so human nature just doesn’t change.
Noun
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Household incomes average $376,741, and home values average $2 million.
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The Central African country is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and controls vast stores of copper, gold, and lithium; its mining sector is estimated to hold $24 trillion of mineral value.
Noun
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Records obtained by the Charlotte Observer also show Kelly received a 6% merit increase in July 2025, bringing her salary to $180,318 before the council’s action.
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His work tells the Revolutionary story through thousands of Americans debating the merits of political change, weighing the risks of armed resistance, and reassuring friends and neighbors that they were engaged in a worthy cause.
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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