principal
Primary; most important; first level in importance.
Adjective 2 meanings
Primary; most important; first level in importance.
“Smith is the principal architect of this design.”
Chosen or assumed among a branch of possible values of a multi-valued function so that the function is single-valued.
“Two is the principal square root of 4. Both −2 and +2 are square roots of 4.”
Noun 4 meanings
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.”
The chief administrator of a school.
The chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college.
“Coordinate term: bursar”
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.
“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.”
Etymology
From Middle English principal, from Old French principal, from Latin prīncipālis.
Similar and opposite words
PRINCIPAL at a glance
PRINCIPAL has 9 letters and scores 15 points in Scrabble (P 3 + R 1 + I 1 + N 1 + C 3 + I 1 + P 3 + A 1 + L 1) and 20 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #2,844 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with principal
All rhymes- MUNICIPAL15
- EPISCOPAL15
- PAPAL9
- OPAL6
- ARCHETYPAL20
- CARPAL10
- HIPPOCAMPAL24
- PUPAL9
- METACARPAL16
- OEDIPAL10
- SEPAL7
- COPAL9
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