cardinal

noun kar-dee-NAL Rare

Origin: From Latin cardinalis, 'hinge', denoting a pivotal church official.

Usage Note

Cardinal is an English/Latin loanword used in Italian primarily in ecclesiastical and heraldic contexts — a prince of the Catholic Church. The native Italian equivalent is cardinale (m); cardinal appears as an invariable form in formal and borrowed usage. Do not confuse with cardinale used as an adjective meaning 'cardinal' (as in virtù cardinali).

Examples

"Il cardinal Bertone incontrò il Papa."

Natural Translation

Cardinal Bertone met the Pope.

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