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What is the difference between ordinal and cardinal?

ordinal | cardinal |

Cardinal is a coordinate term of ordinal.



As adjectives the difference between ordinal and cardinal

is that ordinal is of a number, indicating position in a sequence while cardinal is of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

As nouns the difference between ordinal and cardinal

is that ordinal is an ordinal number such as first, second and third while cardinal is a number indicating quantity, or the size of a set, e.g., one, two, three. See Wikipedia article on Cardinal number.

ordinal

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Of a number, indicating position in a sequence.
  • (taxonomy) Of or relating to the groupings called orders.
  • Derived terms

    * ordinal number * ordinal numeral * supraordinal, superordinal

    Coordinate terms

    * nominal, cardinal, interval, ratio

    See also

    * (wikipedia "ordinal") * (Level of measurement)

    Noun

    (wikipedia ordinal) (en noun)
  • An ordinal number such as first, second and third.
  • The most common numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals"...and the "ordinals "...'' — F. M. Wheelock, ''Wheelock’s Latin , 6th ed. revised (2005), p97
  • A book used in the ordination of Anglican ministers, or in certain Roman Catholic services
  • Anagrams

    * ----

    cardinal

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
  • a cardinal rule
  • * Shakespeare
  • But cardinal sins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
  • the cardinal intersections of the zodiac
  • * Drayton
  • Impudence is now a cardinal virtue.
  • (nautical) Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).
  • a cardinal mark
  • Describing a "natural" number used to indicate quantity (e.g., one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
  • Having a bright red color (from the color of a Catholic cardinal's cassock).
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • A number indicating quantity, or the size of a set, e.g., one, two, three.
  • *1920 , (Bertrand Russell), Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy , p.83:
  • *:This cardinal number is the smallest of the infinite cardinal numbers; it is the one to which Cantor has appropriated the Hebrew aleph with the suffix 0, to distinguish it from larger infinite cardinals'. Thus the name of the smallest of infinite ' cardinals is .
  • (lb) A word used to represent a cardinal number; a cardinal numeral.
  • *2005 , , (w, Wheelock's Latin) , 6th ed. revised, p.97:
  • *:The commonest numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals ".
  • An official in the .)
  • *{{quote-book, year=1932, author=(Maurice Baring)
  • , chapter=16, title= Friday's Business , passage=His uncle, a Cardinal , engages a Spanish youth of Moorish descent called Diego, an expert singer and player on the virginal, to unlock the secrets of the heart,
  • A genus of songbirds of the finch family, Cardinalis .
  • Any of various related passerine birds of the family Cardinalidae (See ) and other similar birds that were once considered to be related.
  • *
  • *:Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
  • A shade of scarlet, the traditional colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock.
  • :
  • A woman's short cloak with a hood.
  • * (1733-1764)
  • *:Where's your cardinal ! Make haste.
  • Mulled red wine.
  • :(Hotten)
  • Derived terms

    * cardinal bird * cardinal concern * cardinal number * cardinal fish * cardinal flower * cardinally * cardinal numeral * cardinal point * cardinal spider * cardinal symptom * cardinal virtue * cardinal vowels * cardinalate * cardinality * cardinalship * incardinate

    See also

    * * Contrast with ordinal (numbers) * (abbreviation)

    Anagrams

    * ----