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Principal

//ˈpɹɪnsɪpəl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Primary; most important; first level in importance.

    "Smith is the principal architect of this design."

  2. 2
    Of or relating to a prince; princely. Latinism, obsolete

    "But walkt at will, and wandred to and fro, / In the pride of his freedome principall."

  3. 3
    Chosen or assumed among a branch of possible values of a multi-valued function so that the function is single-valued.

    "Two is the principal square root of 4. Both −2 and +2 are square roots of 4."

Adjective
  1. 1
    most important element wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    The money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated. uncountable

    "A portion of your mortgage payment goes to reduce the principal, and the rest covers interest."

  2. 2
    the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for their own account wordnet
  3. 3
    The chief administrator of a school. Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, Philippines, US, countable, uncountable

    "The important administrative figure to the teacher is the school principal."

  4. 4
    the educator who has executive authority for a school wordnet
  5. 5
    The chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college. Canada, UK, countable, uncountable

    "1967, University of Edinburgh Graduates′ Association, University of Edinburgh Journal, Volumes 23-24, page 314, Unlike the students, Principal Robertson, who now resided almost alone in the College, continued to use the accustomed route on his visits to the Old Town; and it “became the joke of the day that from being the principal gate it had become only a gate for the Principal.”⁵"

Show 16 more definitions
  1. 6
    (criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offense, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement wordnet
  2. 7
    A legal person that authorizes another (the agent) to act on their behalf; or on whose behalf an agent or gestor in a negotiorum gestio acts. countable, uncountable

    "When an attorney represents a client, the client is the principal who permits the attorney, the client′s agent, to act on the client′s behalf."

  3. 8
    an actor who plays a principal role wordnet
  4. 9
    The primary participant in a crime. countable, uncountable

    "The accessories may be prosecuted, tried and punished, though the principal has not been prosecuted or has been acquitted."

  5. 10
    capital as contrasted with the income derived from it wordnet
  6. 11
    Either party in a duel. countable, uncountable

    "The old man raised his arm as though it had been palsied, and fired, of course without effect. The other principal immediately deloped, much to the satisfaction of my friend and all present."

  7. 12
    the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated wordnet
  8. 13
    A partner or owner of a business. Canada, US, countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    A type of stop on a pipe organ consisting of flue pipes with a bright tonal quality. They are also sometimes referred to as a diapason. countable, uncountable
  10. 15
    The construction that gives shape and strength to a roof, generally a truss of timber or iron; or, loosely, the most important member of a piece of framing. countable, uncountable
  11. 16
    The first two long feathers of a hawk's wing. countable, uncountable

    "a birde whose principals be scarce growne out"

  12. 17
    One of the turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and tapers with which the posts and centre of a funeral hearse were formerly crowned countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    An essential point or rule; a principle. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "Set two classes of monitors to question each other; so that one may try to outquestion the other. Explain to them the principal of every subject they have to teach."

  14. 19
    A dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company. countable, uncountable
  15. 20
    A security principal. countable, uncountable
  16. 21
    A main character or lead actor. countable, uncountable

    "Silverberg also gives the reader reader some excellent character insight; deep probes into the minds of all the principals bring the reader closer to the persons involved than might be thought possible with the plot so far removed from the realm of normality."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English principal, from Old French principal, from Latin prīncipālis.

Etymology 2

From Middle English principal, from Old French principal, from Latin prīncipālis.

See also for "principal"

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