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
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Ebba Andersson tumbled and snapped the ski binding in the second leg, giving Norway the advantage on a day where warm weather caused slushy corners that created havoc in the early stages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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The main challenge is ensuring redistricting is fair, transparent, and based on accurate population data—not drawn to protect incumbents or maximize partisan advantage.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The law names city, county, and other local agencies, as well as federal law enforcement agencies, but notably does not include law enforcement officers employed by the state, creating a distinction that the judge found discriminatory against federal agents.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
-
This distinction is fast becoming one of the most consequential competitive fault lines in modern markets.—
Christopher Vollmer,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The debate occurred during Socrates’s inquiry into human virtue, recounted in Plato’s Republic.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Casting all the virtue and vice signaling on the political spectrum aside with his straightforward embrace of America, Bunny then gave viewers a geography lesson by listing the countries that make up the Americas.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The other redemptions outside of those options typically offer a subpar value of less than 1 cent per point, except for Bilt Travel redemptions and travel partner transfers.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Canadians are taking it personally that their integrity is coming under attack in front of a global audience at the Olympics, which touts the values of respect and friendship.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, judge arguments based on the merits of the underlying facts, and how experts scrupulously interpret those facts.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Internal decision-making can become polarized, funding relationships strained, and exhibitions evaluated through ideological lenses rather than scholarly merit.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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