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Word a Day

cardinal

adjective · /ˈkɑɹdənəl/ · Level 2 · Intermediate

What does cardinal mean?

cardinal (adjective): of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How do you pronounce cardinal?

/ˈkɑɹdənəl/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does cardinal come from?

From Middle French cardinal, from Latin cardinālis (“pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends, important, principal, chief”).

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What are synonyms of cardinal?

From Princeton WordNet 3.1.

Test yourself: do you know “cardinal”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “cardinal” mean?

capable of being done or achieved; feasible

Not quite: that's what possible means.

of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal

Right! That's what “cardinal” means.

of a color similar to that of wood or earth

Not quite: that's what brown means.

related, connected, or pertinent to a topic

Not quite: that's what relevant means.

Which word is closest in meaning to “cardinal”?

central

Right!

general

Not quite: general means something else.

several

Not quite: several means something else.

outside

Not quite: outside means something else.

Learn a word like “cardinal” every day

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