Principal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl/ prin·ci·pal

Meaning & Definition of Principal

Principal (adjective)

  1. most important, consequential, or influential, chief
  2. of, relating to, or constituting principal or a principal

Principal (noun)

  1. a person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position
  2. a chief or head man or woman
  3. the chief executive officer of an educational institution

Principal (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show

    "my cousin is one of the principals in a new sitcom this fall"

    similar: headliner, lead, star
    related: leading lady, leading man, superstar, ingenue, starlet, star turn (chiefly British), coprincipal, costar
    near: extra, supernumerary

Principal (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. coming before all others in importance

    "our principal reason for coming here today"

    similar: arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, foremost, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, prior, sovereign, supreme
    related: distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, top, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, celebrated, famed, famous, renowned
    opposite: last, least
    near: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

  2. highest in rank or authority

    "the principal researcher in the company's chemical division"

    similar: chief, commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, prime, supereminent, supreme, top, in charge
    related: high-level, senior, controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory, main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign, ascendant, dominant, grand, superior, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermost
    near: ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Principal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Principal:

headliner, lead, star, arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, foremost, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, prior, sovereign, supreme, commanding, head, high, presiding, prime, supereminent

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Principal

Words with the opposite meaning of Principal:

last, least

Related Words for Principal

leading lady, leading man, superstar, ingenue, starlet, star turn, coprincipal, costar, distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled

Near Antonyms of Principal

extra, supernumerary, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, ancillary, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under

Word Forms of Principal

Derived words: principally (adverb), principalship (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Principal

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin principalis, from princip-, princeps

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Principal

Words & Phrases Containing Principal

principal diagonal, principal parts, coprincipal

Frequently Asked Questions about Principal

What does "Principal" mean?

"Principal" means most important, consequential, or influential, chief. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: most important, consequential, or influential, chief. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Principal"?

Other words for "Principal" include headliner, lead, star, arch, big, capital, cardinal and central. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Principal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Principal"?

There are 93 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Principal". Common alternatives include headliner, lead, star, arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief and dominant.

What is the opposite of "Principal"?

Antonyms of "Principal" include last and least. Near antonyms include extra, supernumerary, inconsequential and inconsiderable.

How do you use "Principal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Principal" in a sentence: "my cousin is one of the principals in a new sitcom this fall"; "our principal reason for coming here today"; "the principal researcher in the company's chemical division".

Is "Principal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Principal" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Principal" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Principal" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Principal"?

"Principal" is pronounced /ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl/ and divided into syllables as prin·ci·pal.