Definition

The position or rank held by a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.

Example

He was elevated to the cardinalate after many years of service.

Conversation

Did you know that the cardinalate is a significant position in the Catholic Church?

Yeah, I heard it involves a lot of responsibilities and ceremonies.

It must be interesting to see how they choose new cardinals for the cardinalate.

Definitely! I’d love to learn more about the whole process.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cardinalate is formed from "cardinalis" (from Latin, meaning principal or chief) and the suffix "-ate" (indicating a state or condition). The term refers to the state or condition of being a cardinal, particularly in the context of the Catholic Church.

Memory Tip

Think of 'cardinal' as meaning 'chief' or 'principal' — the '-ate' indicates a state, so 'cardinalate' refers to the state of being a chief or principal, especially in a religious context.

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