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principal definition

prin·ci·pal (prin′sə pəl)

adjective

  1. first in rank, authority, importance, degree, etc.
  2. that is or has to do with principal ()

Etymology: OFr < L principalis < princeps: see prince

noun

  1. a principal person or thing; specif.,
    1. a chief; head
    2. a governing or presiding officer, specif. of a school
    3. a main actor or performer
    4. either of the combatants in a duel
    1. any of the main end rafters of a roof, supporting the purlins
    2. a roof truss
  3. Finance
    1. the amount of a debt, investment, etc. minus the interest, or on which interest is computed
    2. the face value of a stock or bond
    3. the main body of an estate, etc., as distinguished from income
  4. Law
    1. a person who employs another to act as his agent
    2. the person primarily responsible for an obligation
    3. a person who commits a crime or is present as an abettor to it
  5. Music
    1. any of the principal open stops of an organ
    2. the soloist in a concert
    3. the first player of any section of orchestral instruments except the first violins
    4. the subject of a fugue

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business principal definition - business

finance principal definition - finance

law principal definition - legal

principal Synonyms

principal

modif.

leading, chief, first, head, primary, prime, main, foremost, cardinal, key, major, essential, capital, important, preeminent, highest, supreme, premier, prominent, dominant, predominant, predominating, supereminent, controlling, ruling, superior, prevailing, paramount, greatest, front rank, highest-ranking, top-ranking, ranking, starring, star, stellar, incomparable, peerless, matchless, transcendent, unequaled, unrivaled, unsurpassed, maximum, crowning, sovereign, second to none, ultimate, mainline, world-class, number one*.

Antonyms unimportant*, secondary*, accessory.

principal is applied to the thing or person having precedence over all others by reason of size, position, importance, etc. the principal rivers of Africa; chief is applied to a person or thing first in rank, authority, importance, significance, etc., and usually connotes subordination of all others chief executive officer, the chief advantages; main, in strict usage, is applied to the thing, often part of a system or an extensive whole, that is preeminent in size, power, importance, etc. the main line of a railroad; leading may stress capacity for guiding, conducting, or drawing others as well as implying a position first in importance or rank a leading light of the community; foremost suggests being first by having moved ahead to that position the foremost statesman of our time; capital is applied to that which is ranked at the head of its kind or class because of its importance or its special significance the capital city


principal

n.

chief, head, chief party, master; see administrator.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

principal Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • college: Your initial focus will be on the development of programs aimed at aspiring principals of colleges in England.

Converse of object

  • become: He later went on to become Principal of Stroud School of Art, a post he held for over six years.

Adjective modifier

  • guiding: Consequently the guiding principals of supported self diagnosis and rehabilitation are lost.

Modifies a noun

  • investigator: Clinical Trials: Professor Leigh has been a Principal Investigator for many clinical trials in MND.

Noun used with modifier

  • college: What exactly do NGfL Managed Services offer to busy head teachers and college principals who are looking to improve their ICT facilities?
principal usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"principal." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/principal>

APA Style

principal. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/principal

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