What is cardinal number? How to use in English

Discover the meaning of cardinal number in English, its pronunciation, and how to use it correctly in real-life situations. See examples and easy memorization tips.

Definition & pronunciation of cardinal number

cardinal numbernoun
số đếm

Definition & pronunciation of <strong>cardinal number</strong>

Where does the word cardinal number come from?

The term "cardinal number" originates from the Latin word "cardinālis," meaning "hinge" or "principal." In the 14th century, this term was adopted to describe the most important numbers, those used for counting (like one, two, three). These "principal" numbers were seen as the foundation, the hinges, of the number system. The term was later extended to include larger numbers and eventually became the standard way to describe the quantity of a set.

Example of vocabulary cardinal numbernamespace

a number denoting quantity (one, two, three, etc.), as opposed to an ordinal number (first, second, third, etc.).

There are ten apples in the basket.
She bought twenty pens at the stationery store.
How many chairs are in this classroom? There are thirty-five.
There are a hundred flowers blooming in the garden.
After the sale, the price of the product dropped from fifty dollars to thirty.