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Glite Dictionary
cardinal virtue

cardinal virtue

1 8.9
One of the four main moral qualities: careful thinking, fairness, self-control, and courage
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrdɪnəl ˈvɜrtju/
  • Formal
translation icon : virtud cardinal
  • Justice is the cardinal virtue that embraces and directs the conduct of humans toward one another and to God in accordance with the rational dictates of the natural law.
  • theological and cardinal virtues

What, what is the nature of these cardinal virtues?

Examples

  • The four cardinal virtues follow, and then the three theological virtues with Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

  • The Greeks identified four chief cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, courage, and temperance.

  • Charity is one of the cardinal virtues, remember?

    The Three Musketeers (1973)

  • The cardinal virtues speak to the goodness of human nature.

    Blog text (29)

  • So these are the cardinal virtues that he's going to talk about.

  • Decisive energy and unity of purpose were, for Wilson, cardinal virtues that only the president could provide.

    Academic text (1997)

  • If courage, the control of fear, is one of the cardinal virtues, that is surely not because we are unable to sympathize with fear.

    Academic text (2001)

  • When we discuss morality, we often refer to the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

  • Old-fashioned loyalty remains a cardinal virtue in many moral philosophies.

Synonyms

virtue
vscardinal virtue
259 3.8

A good personal quality like honesty or kindness

is one of the four specific qualities central to classical moral life
natural virtue
vscardinal virtue
  • Formal
9.9

A moral quality people can have by nature, not given by God, like justice

is the same four moral qualities defined by central moral role rather than origin
moral excellence
vscardinal virtue
6.1

Being very good at doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong

is one of the four foundational moral qualities rather than a general habit

Surface Forms

cardinal virtue singular
cardinal virtues plural

Morphology

cardinal + virtue

The phrase literally combines 'cardinal' (fundamental, primary) with 'virtue' (moral goodness), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the core sense 'a primary or fundamental moral quality'. However, the specialised philosophical meaning referring specifically to the four classical virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude) is culturally/historically specific and not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Cardinal virtue comes from an old word for 'hinge'. A hinge is what a door turns on, so a cardinal thing is one the rest depend on. That's why cardinal virtues are the main moral qualities that other good actions depend on.