principal

principal

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of principal in English

English Online Dictionary. What means principal‎? What does principal mean?

English

Alternative forms

  • principall (obsolete)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪnsɪpəl/, /ˈpɹɪnsəpəl/
  • Hyphenation: prin‧ci‧pal
  • Homophone: principle

Adjective

principal (comparative more principal, superlative most principal)

  1. Primary; most important; first level in importance.
    Synonyms: chief, main, primary
  2. (obsolete, Latinism) Of or relating to a prince; princely.
  3. (mathematics) Chosen or assumed among a branch of possible values of a multi-valued function so that the function is single-valued.

Usage notes

  • Principal should not be confused with principle. Principle is always a noun, which is sometimes erroneously used with the meaning of the adjective principal.
  • Incorrect: He is the principle musician in the band
  • Correct: He is the principal musician in the band

Similarly principal (or principally) may sometimes erroneously get used as an adjective form of principle. Possible alternatives for an adjective with a meaning closer to the noun principle are fundamental and ethical.

  • Incorrect: I have principal objections.
  • Correct: I have ethical objections.

This can vary in other languages, for example in Dutch where the noun principe does have an adjective form in principieel. This can be a source of confusion if a Dutch speaker assumes an adjective form of principle would also exist in English which may lead them to erroneously use the similar-sounding adjective principal in an English text for this purpose. Principal is generally not used in the comparative or superlative in formal writing, as the meaning is already superlative. However, like unique, it is sometimes used in this way.

Related terms

  • principally

Translations

Noun

principal (countable and uncountable, plural principals)

  2. (finance, uncountable) The money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated.
    A portion of your mortgage payment goes to reduce the principal, and the rest covers interest.
    • 2012, Denis Clifford, Plan Your Estate, 11th Edition, NOLO, US, page 298,
      For instance, in some states, dividends that have automatically been reinvested will be treated as principal.
    Coordinate term: interest
  4. (Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) The chief administrator of a school.
    Synonyms: (UK) headteacher, headmaster, headmistress
    • 2011, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2011-2012, page 45,
      Principals are now being held more accountable for the performance of students and teachers, while at the same time they are required to adhere to a growing number of government regulations.
    Coordinate terms: master, mistress, headteacher
  5. (UK, Canada) The chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college.
    Synonyms: dean, rector
    • 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
    Coordinate term: bursar
  6. (law) 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.
    Synonym: client
    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.
    My principal sells metal shims.
    • 2009, California Continuing Education of the Bar, California Probate Code, page 375,
      An attorney-in-fact has a duty to act solely in yhe interest of the principal and to avoid conflicts of interest.
  8. (law) The primary participant in a crime.
    Synonym: ringleader
    Coordinate term: accessory
    Hypernym: accomplice
    Coordinate term: accessory
  9. Either party in a duel.
  11. (Canada, US) A partner or owner of a business.
    Synonym: proprietor
  12. (music) A type of diapason on a pipe organ.
  13. (architecture, engineering) 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.
  14. The first two long feathers of a hawk's wing.
  15. One of the turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and tapers with which the posts and centre of a funeral hearse were formerly crowned
  16. (obsolete) An essential point or rule; a principle.
  17. A dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company.
  18. (computing) A security principal.
  19. A main character or lead actor.

Usage notes

Principal should not be confused with principle. They are both nouns, but principle means "moral rule", while principal may refer to a person or entity.

  • Incorrect: He is the principle of our school
  • Correct: He is the principal of our school

Related terms

Translations

Derived terms

See also

  • PITI payment
  • prince
  • principality
  • principle

References

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīncipālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [pɾin.siˈpal]

Adjective

principal m or f (masculine and feminine plural principals)

  1. main; principal
    • a partir de l'any 1799 Urgias va ser un dels principals animadors del Parnàs Alguerès

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

  • “principal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīncipālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pʁɛ̃.si.pal/

Adjective

principal (feminine principale, masculine plural principaux, feminine plural principales)

  1. main, key, principal
    l’un des principaux problèmes ― one of the key problems
    les principales ethnies du pays ― the principal ethnic groups of the country

Usage notes

This is one of the French adjectives that can occur either before or after the noun. When located before the noun, the adjective is more strongly emphasized.

Derived terms

Noun

principal m (plural principaux, feminine principale)

  1. someone or something which is important, key, paramount
    les principaux du royaume ― the chief men of the kingdom
  2. principal (school administrator)
  3. (finance) principal (the money originally invested or loaned)

Further reading

  • “principal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Galician

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -al
  • Hyphenation: prin‧ci‧pal

Adjective

principal m or f (plural principais)

  1. main, principal

Related terms

Occitan

Pronunciation

Adjective

principal m (feminine singular principala, masculine plural principals, feminine plural principalas)

  1. main, principal

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin principālis (“first; principal”), from prīncipium (“beginning”).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -al, -aw
  • Hyphenation: prin‧ci‧pal

Adjective

principal m or f (plural principais)

  1. main; principal (most important)
    Synonym: primário
    Antonym: secundário
  2. fundamental; essential
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:importante, Thesaurus:importante
    Antonyms: see Thesaurus:importante
  3. (astronomy, of a heavenly body) having another body orbiting it
    Synonym: primário
    Antonym: orbitante
  4. (grammar, of a sentence) not subordinate
    Antonym: subordinado

Derived terms

Noun

principal m (plural principais)

  1. prelate of a religious, educational or commercial institution
    Synonyms: diretor, prelado

Related terms

Further reading

  • “principal”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
  • “principal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French principal, from Latin principalis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /prin.t͡ʃiˈpal/

Adjective

principal m or n (feminine singular principală, masculine plural principali, feminine and neuter plural principale)

  1. principal, primary, chief, foremost
    Synonym: central
    Antonym: secundar

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish prinçipal, principal, borrowed from Latin principālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Spain) /pɾinθiˈpal/ [pɾĩn̟.θiˈpal]
  • IPA(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /pɾinsiˈpal/ [pɾĩn.siˈpal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: prin‧ci‧pal

Adjective

principal m or f (masculine and feminine plural principales)

  1. main, most important
  2. essential

Derived terms

Noun

principal m (plural principales)

  1. chief, boss

Related terms

Further reading

  • “principal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Noun

principal c

  1. a principal; one who directs another (the agent) to act on one's behalf

Declension

See also

  • princip
  • principiell

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.