×

Learn to pronounce prin·ci·pal

/ˈprinsəp(ə)l/
adjective
  1. first in order of importance; main.
    "the country's principal cities"
    synonyms: main, chief, primary, leading, foremost, first, most important, predominant, dominant, (most) prominent, key, crucial, vital, essential, basic, staple, critical, pivotal, salient, prime, central, focal, premier, paramount, major, ruling, master, supreme, overriding, cardinal, capital, preeminent, ultimate, uppermost, highest, utmost, top, topmost, arch-, number-one
  2. (of money) denoting an original sum invested or lent.
    "the principal amount of your investment"

noun
  1. the person with the highest authority or most important position in an organization, institution, or group.
    "a design consultancy whose principal is based in San Francisco"
    synonyms: boss, chief, chief executive (officer), CEO, chairman, chairwoman, managing director, MD, president, director, manager, employer, head, leader, ruler, controller, head honcho, gaffer, governor, guv'nor
  2. a sum of money lent or invested, on which interest is paid.
    "the winners are paid from the interest without even touching the principal"
    synonyms: capital sum, capital, capital funds, working capital, financial resources, money, debt, loan
  3. a person for whom another acts as an agent or representative.
    "stockbrokers in Tokyo act as agents rather than as principals"
  4. the person directly responsible for a crime.
  5. a main rafter supporting purlins.
  6. an organ stop sounding a main register of open flue pipes typically an octave above the diapason.
    "all the principals are on one manual"

People also ask
Apr 17, 2024 · The meaning of PRINCIPAL is most important, consequential, or influential : chief. How to use principal in a sentence. Principle vs.
first or highest in rank, importance, value, etc.; chief; foremost: The principal problem is a lack of money.
It can be a noun to describe a sum of money. It's also an adjective that describes a person, a position in a company, or a financial arrangement. Investors, ...
a person who has legal responsibility for what a business or organization does: I later became a principal at an investment banking firm.
Principal as an adjective means "the most important." As a noun, it refers to someone in a leading position, or the executive officer of a school. Principle, on ...
/ˈprɪnsɪpəl/ · adjective. most important element · noun. the educator who has executive authority for a school · noun. the major party to a financial ...
principal in British English · 1. first in importance, rank, value, etc; chief · 2. denoting or relating to capital or property as opposed to interest, etc · 3.