cardinal number
1
2.4
- noun
- /ˈkɑrdɪnəl ˈnʌmbər/
- Specialized
:
número cardinal
- In math class, we learned that the cardinal numbers are used to count objects.
Examples
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That is, the field (and other) operations associated with "numbers" are mentally coupled with cardinal numbers, even though they shouldn't be.
Blog text (9) -
Infinity (which one?) is a cardinal number.
Blog text (9) -
Notice, however, that mathematicians refer to these constructs as infinite cardinal numbers.
Blog text (9) -
Treat ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) as you would cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.).
Academic text (2002) -
The cardinal number one represents a single item in a group.
-
When counting how many apples are in the basket, we use cardinal numbers like two or three.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A symbol or word that shows how many items there are
1
8.6
A number that shows how many items are in a set
1
3.4
A number used for counting that starts at one and goes up
A word or number that tells how many things there are
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a number that shows quantity' is directly derivable from combining 'cardinal' (relating to quantity/primary) with 'number' (a count or numeral). This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition with clear cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g., Spanish 'número cardinal', French 'nombre cardinal'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
The name cardinal number comes from cardinal, which used to mean 'main' or 'most important'. So these are the main numbers we use to count things, like 'one, two, three'.