Definition of principal Principal

/pɹɪˈnsʌpʌl/ - [prinsupul] - prin•ci•pal

We found 36 definitions of principal from 7 different sources.

What does principal mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: principals
principal - the educator who has executive authority for a school; "she sent unruly pupils to see the principal"
		school principal, head teacher, head
		educator, pedagog, pedagogue someone who educates young people
		chancellor the honorary or titular head of a university
		headmaster, schoolmaster, master presiding officer of a school
principal - the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account
		dealer
		financier, moneyman a person skilled in large scale financial transactions
principal - (criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offense, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement
		offender, wrongdoer a person who transgresses moral or civil law
		criminal law the body of law dealing with crimes and their punishment
principal - the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
		debt an obligation to pay or do something
principal - capital as contrasted with the income derived from it
		corpus, principal sum
principal - an actor who plays a principal role
		star, lead
		histrion, thespian, actor, role player, player a theatrical performer
		co-star one of two actors who are given equal status as stars in a play or film
		film star, movie star a star who plays leading roles in the cinema
		matinee idol, idol a material effigy that is worshipped; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god"

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Wiktionary

principal (Noun)
The money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated.
principal (Noun)
The chief administrator of a school.
principal (Noun)
The chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college.
principal (Noun)
One who directs another the agent to act on one′s behalf.
principal (Noun)
The primary participant in a crime.
principal (Noun)
A company represented by a salesperson.
principal (Noun)
A diapason, a type of organ stop on a pipe organ .
principal (Noun)
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.
principal (Noun)
The first two long feathers of a hawk's wing.
principal (Noun)
One of the turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and tapers with which the posts and centre of a funeral hearse were formerly crowned.
principal (Noun)
An essential point or rule; a principle.
principal (Adjective)
Primary; most important.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

principal (a.)
Highest in rank, authority, character, importance, or degree; most considerable or important; chief; main; as, the principal officers of a Government; the principal men of a state; the principal productions of a country; the principal arguments in a case.
principal (a.)
Of or pertaining to a prince; princely.
principal (n.)
A leader, chief, or head; one who takes the lead; one who acts independently, or who has controlling authority or influence; as, the principal of a faction, a school, a firm, etc.; -- distinguished from a subordinate, abettor, auxiliary, or assistant.
principal (n.)
The chief actor in a crime, or an abettor who is present at it, -- as distinguished from an accessory.
principal (n.)
A chief obligor, promisor, or debtor, -- as distinguished from a surety.
principal (n.)
One who employs another to act for him, -- as distinguished from an agent.
principal (n.)
A thing of chief or prime importance; something fundamental or especially conspicuous.
principal (n.)
A capital sum of money, placed out at interest, due as a debt or used as a fund; -- so called in distinction from interest or profit.
principal (n.)
The construction which gives shape and strength to a roof, -- generally a truss of timber or iron, but there are roofs with stone principals. Also, loosely, the most important member of a piece of framing.
principal (n.)
In English organs the chief open metallic stop, an octave above the open diapason. On the manual it is four feet long, on the pedal eight feet. In Germany this term corresponds to the English open diapason.
principal (n.)
A heirloom; a mortuary.
principal (n.)
The first two long feathers of a hawk's wing.
principal (n.)
One of turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and tapers with which the posts and center of a funeral hearse were formerly crowned.
principal (n.)
A principal or essential point or rule; a principle.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

principal
The most important element.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

principal
prin′si-pal, adj. taking the first place: highest in rank, character, or importance: chief.—n. a principal person or thing: a head, as of a school or college: one who takes a leading part: money on which interest is paid: (archit.) a main beam or timber: (law) the person who commits a crime, or one who aids and abets him in doing it: a person for whom another becomes surety, a person who, being sui juris, employs another to do an act which he is competent himself to do: (mus.) an organ-stop: (Shak.) the principal rafter.—n. Principal′ity, supreme power: the territory of a prince or the country which gives title to him: (B.) a prince: (obs.) a power: (pl.) an order of angels, the seventh in the hierarchy of Dionysius.—adv. Prin′cipally.—ns. Prin′cipalness, the state of being principal or chief; Prin′cipalship, position of a principal; Prin′cipate, primary: a principality, esp. the office of the ancient Roman emperors. [L. principalis.]