cardinal rule

noun

A fundamental rule, upon which other matters hinge.

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Meanings

nouncardinal rule (plural cardinal rules)

plural cardinal rules

  1. A fundamental rule, upon which other matters hinge.

    Obviously they were well aware of the cardinal rule of being a college freshman: all's fair in innocent prankage.

    2011, John Randall Tabor, Homer Is Where the Heart Is, page 132
Cite this entry
APA

cardinal rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cardinal%20rule

MLA

“cardinal rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cardinal%20rule. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cardinal rule,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cardinal%20rule.

Source: cardinal rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.