principal

noun
UK: /ˈprɪnsəpəl/
US: /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

  1. The head of a school.

    1. The principal spoke to the students today. [ ] [ ]
    2. Our principal is implementing new rules to improve student behavior. [ ] [ ]

  2. A main or important person in a company or organization.

    1. She is a principal in the law firm. [ ] [ ]
    2. The principal investigator presented their research findings at the conference. [ ] [ ]

  3. The most important person in a play or film.

    1. She played the principal role in the play. [ ] [ ]
    2. The director selected the principal actors after a lengthy audition process. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

chief head main capital
principal adjective

  1. First in order of importance; main.

    1. The principal reason is money. [ ] [ ]
    2. His principal concern is the well-being of his family members. [ ] [ ]
principal noun

  1. The original sum of money invested or lent.

    1. I need to pay the principal back. [ ] [ ]
    2. The principal amount of the loan was $10,000, with interest accruing annually. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "principal" in English means: The head of a school., A main or important person in a company or organization., The most important person in a play or film..

The phonetic transcription of "principal" is /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ in British English and /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "principal": chief, head, main, capital.

Example usage of "principal": "The principal spoke to the students today.". More examples on the page.