The rank, office, or position of a cardinal, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.
From cardinal (a high-ranking Catholic official) plus the suffix -ship, which denotes rank or office (as in kingship or friendship). The term emerged in medieval ecclesiastical English.
The -ship suffix is remarkably productive in English—it's been used for centuries to denote status or office, and when you learn that pattern, you can suddenly understand words like 'membership,' 'leadership,' and 'cardinalship' even if you've never heard them before.
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