cardinal virtue

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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cardinal virtue 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
  • Pone hit a sacrifice fly to put Ole Miss up 5-4, Mackenzie Pickens hit and RBI single in the fifth for a two-run advantage and Brady sent a solo home run to left-center field in the seventh to set the final score.
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
  • In this context, the real advantage lies not simply in exporting more whisky but in embedding British spirits—Scotch and otherwise—within a broader consumer and distribution ecosystem.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • Those 30-something passengers represented a surprising demographic distinction for this city mainly known for its long winters, spicy chicken wings and proximity to one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the country.
    David Allan, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
  • Dylan’s detention has also drawn the condemnation of New York’s governor, who at an unrelated press conference Thursday in Hell’s Kitchen made a distinction between assisting in the removal of people who have been accused of crimes and separating families.
    Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • By virtue of its basic conceit — after narrowly escaping a disaster with the help of a premonition, a group of people are stalked and killed by Death itself — almost all of these movies end with a high body count and no one making it out alive.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 22 May 2025
  • This is based on mutual respect for each other’s virtues and character.
    Gregg D. Caruso, The Conversation, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Then, when rates do come down and investors go looking for higher income, the value of these funds’ bonds—and indeed the value of these funds themselves—should rise.
    Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
  • One driver who might deliver pretty good value for a Top 10?
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • In May, the high court again paused the deportations of a group of Venezuelan nationals in the Lone Star State, sending the case back to the appeals court for a review of the merits of the case.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025
  • While the national security arguments lack merit, there are still actions the Administration could take that would incentivize greater domestic manufacturing.
    Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cardinal virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cardinal%20virtue. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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