What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Cardinal vs Basic - What's the difference?

cardinal | basic |

As a noun cardinal

is (baseball) a player on the st louis cardinals team.

As an adjective basic is

basic.

cardinal

English

(wikipedia 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

    * ----

    basic

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Necessary, essential for life or some process.
    • Flour is a basic ingredient of bread.
  • Elementary, simple, fundamental, merely functional.
    • The Hotel Sparta’s accommodation is purely basic .
  • (chemistry) Of or pertaining to a base; having a pH greater than 7.
  • (slang) Vapid, boring, or uncool.
  • * 2011 , (Kreayshawn), "(Gucci Gucci)", (w, Somethin' 'Bout Kreay) :
    • Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada / Them basic bitches wear that shit, so I don't even bother
  • * 2013 , Sam Stryker, " Why Does Everyone Hate Anne Hathaway?", The Observer (University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College), Volume 46, Issue 101, 1 March 2013, page 11:
    • I'm not saying people are jealous of Hathaway because she is so perfect. Yes, she does have it all — husband, healthy career, good looks. But she doesn't do anything in an "awesome" way. She's basic .
  • * 2014 , Trevor Thrall, " Firing Line: Rowling says ‘JK,’ Ron and Hermione not meant to be", The Daily Campus (Southern Methodist University), Volume 99, Issue 54, 3 February 2014, page 4:
    • And what can be said about Ginny? She’s basic . My guess is that she spends her time drinking pumpkin spice lattes and watching “Pretty Little Liars.” The Chosen One is way out of her quidditch league.
  • *

    • Synonyms

    * See also * (chemistry) alkaline

    Antonyms

    * (chemistry) acidic

    Derived terms

    * basically * BASIC

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A necessary commodity, a staple requirement.
    • Rice is a basic for many Asian villagers.
  • An elementary building block, e.g. a fundamental piece of knowledge.
    • Arithmetic is a basic for the study of mathematics.
  • (military) Basic training.

    • Anagrams

    * ----