cardinal virtue
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.62 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One of the four foundational virtues identified by Greek and Christian philosophers, on which other virtues depend: justice, temperance, prudence, or fortitude.
Example Sentences
- "Even the cardinal virtues cannot atone for half-cold entrées, as Lord Henry remarked once, in a discussion on the subject, and there is possibly a good deal to be said for his view."
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: cardinālis
Inflected Forms
Phrases
four virtues
heavenly virtues