cardinal:
(plural: ‘cardinals‘; pronunciation: the letter ‘c’ is said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king”)
a priest with a high rank (title) in the Roman Catholic Church (this rank is only just below the rank of Pope)
A cardinal is a bishop of a diocese who is elevated to a higher position.
Cardinals are selected by the Pope to assist him in running the day to day affairs of the Church, and, in turn, whenever the ‘seat of the Pope’ falls vacant, they select a new pope.
Like some of the priests in the Roman Catholic Church, some cardinals are also accused of involving in unholy doings!
Another equally common meaning is a bird with the same name ‘cardinal‘. The word ‘cardinal’ is also used for something that is very important, e.g. ‘cardinal rule’; for the deep red colour, and for a number that shows the quantity, i.e. how many there are — one, two, three four, and so on, e.g. “There are four people in the room.”, ‘four’ in this sentence is a cardinal number.
About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
