Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cardinalship

cardinalship

9.9
The position of a senior Catholic church leader who advises the Pope and elects Popes
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrdɪnəlˌʃɪp/
  • Formal
translation icon : cardenalato
  • The responsibilities of the cardinalship include advising the Pope and electing new pontiffs.

Examples

  • He was appointed to the cardinalship last year.

  • He devoted his life to serving the Church during his cardinalship.

  • After decades of service, his cardinalship was marked by humility and reform.

  • The cardinalship is a prestigious role within the Church.

  • The responsibilities of the cardinalship include advising the Pope and overseeing church operations.

  • He devoted his life to serving the Church during his cardinalship, promoting charity and education.

  • After decades of service, his cardinalship was celebrated for its commitment to social justice.

Synonyms

cardinalate
vscardinalship
  • Formal
9.9

A group of senior Roman Catholic leaders who advise and choose the pope

is the single office or dignity held by one senior church official

Surface Forms

cardinalship singular
cardinalships plural

Morphology

cardinalship = cardinal (transparent) = cardinal + ship

The suffix '-ship' productively forms a noun meaning the office or status of the base noun, so 'cardinalship' clearly means the office or rank of a cardinal.

Etymology

Cardinalship comes from cardinal, which means 'chief' or 'main', plus the ending -ship, which means 'office' or 'state', as in leadership or friendship. The word cardinal comes from the old Latin word cardo, meaning 'hinge' — something everything turns on — so cardinalship is the 'office' of a chief church leader, which explains its modern meaning.