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Cardinal vs. Maroon: What's the Difference?

Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on October 12, 2023
Cardinal" refers to a bright red color or a high-ranking church official, while "Maroon" is a dark reddish-brown color or a person stranded in a remote place.

Key Differences

The term Cardinal, when used in a color context, refers to a vivid and bright shade of red. It's bold and can be easily spotted. Conversely, Maroon describes a deeper, dark reddish-brown hue, which is often considered richer and more subdued than cardinal red.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023
Beyond color, Cardinal has religious connotations, specifically referring to high-ranking officials in the Roman Catholic Church. These officials are second only to the Pope. In contrast, Maroon, when not used as a color, indicates someone who has been left behind or stranded, often in a remote place.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023
Cardinal can also denote importance or fundamental principles, as in "cardinal directions" or "cardinal rules." Maroon, when used as a verb, signifies the act of abandoning someone in a desolate location without resources.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023
While both Cardinal and Maroon have connections to color, their additional meanings diverge significantly. One has religious and principled implications, and the other brings forth imagery of isolation and abandonment.
Sara Rehman
Oct 12, 2023
In summary, both Cardinal and Maroon play dual roles in the English language, representing distinct shades of red and also holding unique meanings outside the realm of color.
Harlon Moss
Oct 12, 2023
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Comparison Chart

Color Description

Bright, vivid red
Dark reddish-brown
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Oct 12, 2023

Alternate Meaning

High-ranking church official
Person stranded; act of stranding
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Tone & Feel

Bold, important
Deep, isolated
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Usage Outside Color

Religious, fundamental
Abandonment, isolation
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Common Association

Catholic Church, primary principles
Desertion, rich color
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Oct 12, 2023
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Cardinal and Maroon Definitions

Cardinal

A high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church
The cardinal visited our city last month.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Maroon

To leave someone trapped and isolated
He was marooned on a deserted island for weeks.
Sara Rehman
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

Relating to the hinge joint of the body
The cardinal movements of the head are crucial to understand.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Maroon

A person who is stranded (often due to shipwreck)
The maroons built a makeshift shelter.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

Of foremost importance; paramount
A cardinal rule.
Cardinal sins.
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Jan 01, 2023
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Maroon

A dark reddish-brown color
The curtains had a rich maroon hue.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

Dark to deep or vivid red.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A type of explosive firework
The maroon erupted with a loud bang during the celebration.
Sara Rehman
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

Abbr. Card. Roman Catholic Church A high church official, ranking just below the pope, who has been appointed by a pope to membership in the College of Cardinals.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Descendants of runaway slaves in the Americas
The maroons have a rich cultural heritage.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

A dark to deep or vivid red.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

To put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A North American bird (Cardinalis cardinalis) having a crested head, a short thick bill, and bright red plumage in the male.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

To abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape
The travelers were marooned by the blizzard.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A short hooded cloak, originally of scarlet cloth, worn by women in the 1700s.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A fugitive black slave in the West Indies in the 1600s and 1700s.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A cardinal number.
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Maroon

A descendant of such a slave.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
A cardinal rule
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A person who is marooned, as on an island.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(nautical) Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).
A cardinal mark
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A dark reddish brown to dark purplish red.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Describing a "natural" number used to indicate quantity (e.g., zero, one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

An escaped negro of the Caribbean and the Americas or a descendant of such a person.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Having a bright red color (from the color of a Catholic cardinal's cassock).
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A castaway; a person who has been marooned.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(Roman Catholic) One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope and the patriarchs, constituting the special college which elects the pope. (See Wikipedia article on Catholic cardinals.)
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A rich dark red, somewhat brownish, color.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Any of a genus of songbirds of the finch family, Cardinalis.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

(nautical) A rocket-propelled firework or skyrocket, often one used as a signal (e.g. to summon the crew of a lifeboat or warn of an air raid).
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Any of various related passerine birds of the family Cardinalidae (See Wikipedia article on cardinals) and other similar birds that were once considered to be related.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

An idiot; a fool.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(color) A deep red color, somewhat less vivid than scarlet, the traditional colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock. cardinal red}}
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Associated with Maroon culture, communities or peoples.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(math) dot=, a number indicating quantity, or the size of a set (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3). Cardinal_number.}}
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Of a maroon color
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(grammar) dot=, a word used to represent a cardinal number.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

To abandon in a remote, desolate place, as on a desert island.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(Lobelia cardinalis), a flowering plant.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

In the West Indies and Guiana, a fugitive slave, or a free negro, living in the mountains.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(Paracheirodon axelrodi), a freshwater fish.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A brownish or dull red of any description, esp. of a scarlet cast rather than approaching crimson or purple.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

An explosive shell. See Marron, 3.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(obsolete) Mulled red wine.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

To put (a person) ashore on a desolate island or coast and leave him to his fate.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Of fundamental importance; preëminent; superior; chief; principal.
The cardinal intersections of the zodiac.
Impudence is now a cardinal virtue.
But cardinal sins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Having the color called maroon. See 4th Maroon.
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

One of the ecclesiastical princes who constitute the pope's council, or the sacred college.
The clerics of the supreme Chair are called Cardinals, as undoubtedly adhering more nearly to the hinge by which all things are moved.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A person who is stranded (as on an island);
When the tide came in I was a maroon out there
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A woman's short cloak with a hood.
Where's your cardinal! Make haste.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

A dark purplish red to dark brownish red
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Mulled red wine.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

An exploding firework used as a warning signal
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

The cardinal bird, also called the northern cardinal.
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Leave stranded or isolated withe little hope og rescue;
The travellers were marooned
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

(Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Leave stranded on a desert island without resources;
The mutinous sailors were marooned on an island
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

The number of elements in a mathematical set; denotes a quantity but not the order
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Jan 01, 2023

Maroon

Dark brownish to purplish red
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A variable color averaging a vivid red
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Serving as an essential component;
A cardinal rule
The central cause of the problem
An example that was fundamental to the argument
Computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

Being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order;
Cardinal numbers
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Jan 01, 2023

Cardinal

A vivid red color
Her dress was a striking cardinal shade.
Harlon Moss
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

Of prime importance; fundamental
Respect is a cardinal rule in our household.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Cardinal

A North American bird, typically red
A beautiful cardinal perched on the windowsill.
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Oct 12, 2023

FAQs

What does it mean to maroon someone?

To maroon means to leave someone trapped and isolated, often in a remote place.
Sara Rehman
Oct 12, 2023

What rank does a cardinal hold in the church?

A cardinal is a high-ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church, second only to the Pope.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Is a cardinal a bird too?

Yes, a cardinal is also a North American bird, typically red in color.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

What color is cardinal?

Cardinal is a bright, vivid red.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Is maroon a natural or man-made color?

While maroon can be produced artificially, it's also a natural color seen in various elements of nature.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

How do cardinals get their position in the church?

Cardinals are appointed by the Pope.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Is maroon a shade of red or brown?

Maroon is a dark reddish-brown.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Can maroon be used as a verb?

Yes, "to maroon" means to strand or abandon someone.
Harlon Moss
Oct 12, 2023

Is maroon always associated with negative connotations like stranding?

No, while it can mean stranding, it's also appreciated as a rich color and has historical significance.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

What are cardinal rules?

Cardinal rules are fundamental or primary rules or principles.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

What's the origin of the word maroon in the context of stranding?

It comes from the Spanish "cimarrón", meaning "wild" or "untamed".
Sara Rehman
Oct 12, 2023

Is the color cardinal associated with any specific institutions?

Yes, several universities and organizations use cardinal as their official color.
Janet White
Oct 12, 2023

Does the Catholic Church have an official shade for cardinal?

While "cardinal red" is associated with the Church, there isn't an exact shade that's universally accepted.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Are the color meanings of cardinal and maroon recent?

No, both have been used to describe colors for centuries.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

How is maroon created in art or design?

It's often a mix of red and brown, sometimes with a touch of blue.
Janet White
Oct 12, 2023

Can cardinal also refer to directions?

Yes, "cardinal directions" refer to the four main compass points: north, south, east, and west.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

What's the difference between cardinal red and crimson?

While both are shades of red, cardinal is usually brighter, while crimson has a slightly bluish tint.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 12, 2023

Can the term maroon refer to communities in history?

Yes, maroons also refer to descendants of runaway slaves in the Americas.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Are there any birds named maroon?

Not specifically named "maroon", but some birds may have maroon-colored plumage.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023

Is maroon popular in fashion?

Yes, maroon is often used in clothing, especially in fall and winter collections.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 12, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira Riaz
Sawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma Saeed
Huma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.

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