cardinal

adjective

1 one of the cardinal principles of the law of trusts:

fundamental, basic, main, chief, primary, prime, principal, premier, first, leading, capital, paramount, preeminent;

important, major, foremost, top, topmost, greatest, highest, key;

essential, vital, crucial, intrinsic, integral, elemental, rudimentary, root, radical.

▷antonyms unimportant.

2 a black dress with cardinal trimmings:

scarlet, red, crimson, vermilion, cinnabar, wine, wine-colored, claret, claret red, claret-colored;

literary vermeil.