# cardinal virtue

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. One of the four foundational virtues identified by Greek and Christian philosophers, on which other virtues depend: justice, temperance, prudence, or fortitude.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cardinal-virtue