Meanings
nouncardinal number (plural cardinal numbers)
plural cardinal numbers
- A number used to denote quantity; a counting number; a cardinal.
The smallest cardinal numbers are 0, 1, 2, and 3.
1 more example
The cardinal number “three” can be represented as “3” or “three”.
- mathematicsA generalized kind of number used to denote the size of a set, including infinite sets.
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 ℵ₀.
1920, Bertrand Russell, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, page 83 - grammarA word that expresses a countable quantity; a cardinal numeral.
“Three” is a cardinal number, while “third” is an ordinal number.
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe number of elements in a mathematical set; denotes a quantity but not the order
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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Basque zenbaki kardinal, zenbaki kardinal
- zenbaki kardinalnumber denoting quantity
- zenbaki kardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Bengali অঙ্কবাচক সংখ্যা
- অঙ্কবাচক সংখ্যা (oṅkobacok śoṅkha)number denoting quantity
Bulgarian числително бройно, кардинално число
- числително бройно (čislitelno brojno)number denoting quantity
- кардинално число (kardinalno čislo)number used to denote the size of a set
Catalan nombre cardinal, nombre cardinal
- nombre cardinalnumber denoting quantity
- nombre cardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Chinese Mandarin 基數 /基数
- 基數 /基数 (jīshù)number denoting quantity
Czech kardinální číslo
- kardinální číslonumber used to denote the size of a set
Danish kardinaltal, kardinaltal
- kardinaltalnumber denoting quantity
- kardinaltalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Esperanto kardinalo
- kardinalonumber denoting quantity
Estonian kardinaalarv, hulga võimsus
- kardinaalarvnumber denoting quantity
- hulga võimsusnumber used to denote the size of a set
Finnish kardinaaliluku, perusluku
- kardinaalilukunumber denoting quantity
- peruslukunumber denoting quantity
- kardinaalilukunumber used to denote the size of a set
- peruslukunumber used to denote the size of a set
French nombre cardinal, nombre cardinal
- nombre cardinalnumber denoting quantity
- nombre cardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
German Kardinalzahl, Grundzahl
- Kardinalzahlnumber denoting quantity
- Grundzahlnumber denoting quantity
- Kardinalzahlnumber used to denote the size of a set
Greek απόλυτος αριθμός
- απόλυτος αριθμός (apólytos arithmós)number denoting quantity
Hungarian tőszám, kardinális szám
- tőszámnumber denoting quantity
- kardinális számnumber used to denote the size of a set
Icelandic fjöldatala, höfuðtala
- fjöldatalanumber denoting quantity
- höfuðtalanumber denoting quantity
- fjöldatalanumber used to denote the size of a set
- höfuðtalanumber used to denote the size of a set
Irish bunuimhir, bunuimhir
- bunuimhirnumber denoting quantity
- bunuimhirnumber used to denote the size of a set
Italian numero cardinale, numero cardinale
- numero cardinalenumber denoting quantity
- numero cardinalenumber used to denote the size of a set
Japanese 基数, 集合数
- 基数 (kisū)number denoting quantity
- 集合数 (shūgōsū)number used to denote the size of a set
- 基数 (kisū)number used to denote the size of a set
Korean 기수
- 기수 (gisu)number denoting quantity
Latin numerus cardinālis
- numerus cardinālisnumber denoting quantity
Malay nombor kardinal, nombor kardinal
- nombor kardinalnumber denoting quantity
- nombor kardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Māori tau maha
- tau mahanumber denoting quantity
Polish liczba kardynalna, liczba kardynalna
- liczba kardynalnanumber denoting quantity
- liczba kardynalnanumber used to denote the size of a set
Portuguese número cardinal, número cardinal
- número cardinalnumber denoting quantity
- número cardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Romanian numeral cardinal, număr cardinal
- numeral cardinalnumber denoting quantity
- număr cardinalnumber denoting quantity
- cardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Russian кардина́льное число́, мо́щность мно́жества
- кардина́льное число́ (kardinálʹnoje čisló)number denoting quantity
- мо́щность мно́жества (móščnostʹ mnóžestva)number used to denote the size of a set
- кардина́льное число́ (kardinálʹnoje čisló)number used to denote the size of a set
Spanish número cardinal, número cardinal
- número cardinalnumber denoting quantity
- número cardinalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Swedish kardinaltal, grundtal
- kardinaltalnumber denoting quantity
- grundtalnumber denoting quantity
- kardinaltalnumber used to denote the size of a set
- grundtalnumber used to denote the size of a set
Tagalog bilang na paulat, bilang na paulat
- bilang na paulatnumber denoting quantity
- bilang na paulatnumber used to denote the size of a set
Turkish asıl sayı, asıl sayılar
- asıl sayınumber denoting quantity
- asıl sayılarnumber used to denote the size of a set
Vietnamese số đếm, số lượng
- số đếmnumber denoting quantity
- số lượngnumber used to denote the size of a set
Welsh rhif prifol, rhif prifol
- rhif prifolnumber denoting quantity
- rhif prifolnumber used to denote the size of a set
Cite this entry
APA
cardinal number. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cardinal%20number
MLA
“cardinal number.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cardinal%20number. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cardinal number,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cardinal%20number.
Source: cardinal number on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.