principal

[prin-suh-puh l] /ˈprɪn sə pəl/
adjective
1.
first or highest in rank, importance, value, etc.; chief; foremost.
2.
of, of the nature of, or constituting principal or capital:
a principal investment.
3.
Geometry. (of an axis of a conic) passing through the foci.
noun
4.
a chief or head.
5.
the head or director of a school or, especially in England, a college.
6.
a person who takes a leading part in any activity, as a play; chief actor or doer.
7.
the first player of a division of instruments in an orchestra (excepting the leader of the first violins).
8.
something of principal or chief importance.
9.
Law.
  1. a person who authorizes another, as an agent, to represent him or her.
  2. a person directly responsible for a crime, either as an actual perpetrator or as an abettor present at its commission.
    Compare accessory (def 3).
10.
a person primarily liable for an obligation, in contrast with an endorser, or the like.
11.
the main body of an estate, or the like, as distinguished from income.
12.
Finance. a capital sum, as distinguished from interest or profit.
13.
Music.
  1. an organ stop.
  2. the subject of a fugue.
14.
(in a framed structure) a member, as a truss, upon which adjacent or similar members depend for support or reinforcement.
15.
each of the combatants in a duel, as distinguished from the seconds.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English < Latin prīncipālis first, chief, equivalent to prīncip- (see prince) + -ālis -al1
Related forms
principalship, noun
underprincipal, noun
Can be confused
principal, principle (see usage note at the current entry; see synonym study at principle)
Synonyms
1. prime, paramount, leading, main, cardinal, preeminent. See capital1 . 4. leader. 5. headmaster, dean, master.
Antonyms
1. secondary, ancillary.
Usage note
The noun principle and the noun and adjective principal are often confused. Although pronounced alike, the words are not interchangeable in writing. A principle is broadly “a rule of action or conduct” (His overriding principle is greed) or “a fundamental doctrine or tenet” (Their principles do not permit the use of alcoholic beverages). The adjective principal has the general sense “chief, first, foremost”: My principal objection is the cost of the project. The noun principal has among other meanings “the head or director of a school” (The faculty supported the principal in her negotiations with the board) and “a capital sum, as distinguished from interest or profit” (The monthly payments go mostly for interest, leaving the principal practically untouched).
Examples from the web for principal
  • In addition the Museum hosts art exhibitions that represent the principal artistic styles and periods of world cultures.
  • New rules put an emphasis on reducing principal (ie, loan balances).
  • After being scolded by the principal when students were caught reading her work in class, Jackson put the stories aside.
  • The principal limitation to its effectiveness is that effective government enforcement is required.
  • To that simply put but remarkably ambitious mission there are two principal aspects.
  • The principal of fasting is making our organs rest more.
  • If you're still in your home at the end of the interest-only period, you'll have to start paying off the principal.
  • Since falling yields raise the value of bond principal, that has delivered bumper returns to investors.
  • It is the principal or sole vendor of record with a number of retailers where books are not the dominant product offering.
  • The girl's principal feature is the long beautiful hair that is hanging down her back.
British Dictionary definitions for principal

principal

/ˈprɪnsɪpəl/
adjective (prenominal)
1.
first in importance, rank, value, etc; chief
2.
denoting or relating to capital or property as opposed to interest, etc
noun
3.
a person who is first in importance or directs some event, action, organization, etc
4.
(in Britain) a civil servant of an executive grade who is in charge of a section
5.
(law)
  1. a person who engages another to act as his agent
  2. an active participant in a crime
  3. the person primarily liable to fulfil an obligation
6.
the head of a school or other educational institution
7.
(in Scottish schools) a head of department
8.
(finance)
  1. capital or property, as contrasted with the income derived from it
  2. the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
9.
a main roof truss or rafter
10.
(music)
  1. the chief instrumentalist in a section of the orchestra
  2. one of the singers in an opera company
  3. either of two types of open diapason organ stops, one of four-foot length and pitch and the other of eight-foot length and pitch
11.
the leading performer in a play
Derived Forms
principalship, noun
principle
Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin principālis chief, from princeps chief man, prince
Word Origin and History for principal
adj.

c.1300, "main, principal, chief, dominant, most important;" also "great, large," from Old French principal "main, most important," of persons, "princely, high-ranking" (11c.), from Latin principalis "first in importance; original, primitive," from princeps (see prince).

n.

c.1300, "ruler, governor;" also "main part;" from principal (adj.) or from or influenced by noun uses in Old French and Latin. From mid-14c. in the sense of "money on which interest is paid;" 1827 as "person in charge of a public school," though meaning "head of a college or hall" was in English from mid-15c.

principal in Culture

principal definition


The original amount of money lent, not including profits and interest.