Principal Person Chief C Noun Leading Latin B

prin·ci·pal

I

\\ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl, -sə-bəl\\ adjective1. most important, consequential, or influential :

chief

    the principal ingredient
    the region's principal city
2. of, relating to, or constituting principal or a principal
Usage: see
• prin·ci·pal·ly \\-sə-p(ə-)lē, -sə-bə-lē, -splē\\ adverb

II

noun1. a person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position: as
  a. a chief or head man or woman
  b. the chief executive officer of an educational institution
  c. one who engages another to act as an agent subject to general control and instruction; specifically : the person from whom an agent's authority derives
  d. the chief or an actual participant in a crime
  e. the person primarily or ultimately liable on a legal obligation
  f. a leading performer :

star

2. a matter or thing of primary importance: as
  a.
    (1) a capital sum earning interest, due as a debt, or used as a fund
    (2) the corpus of an estate, portion, devise, or bequest
  b. the construction that gives shape and strength to a roof and is usually one of several trusses; broadly : the most important member of a piece of framing
Usage: see
• prin·ci·pal·ship \\ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl-ˌship, -sə-bəl-\\ noun

principal
  principal (adj.) late 13c., from O.Fr. principal (11c.), from L. principalis "first in importance," from princeps (see prince). The noun is c.1300 in the sense of "ruler;" 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., and the basic sense of "chief, commander, ruler" is recorded from late 14c. Principally "in the first place, mainly" is from mid-14c.

principal
prin·ci·pal / 5prinsEpl / adjective [only before noun]
   most important; main
   最重要的；主要的:
   The principal reason for this omission is lack of time.
   跳过它的主要原因是时间不足。
   New roads will link the principal cities of the area.
   新建道路将连通这个地区的主要城市。
⇨ note at

main

noun1. (BrE) the person who is in charge of a college or a university
   大学校长；学院院长:
   Peter Brown, principal of St John's college
   彼得 · 布朗,圣约翰学院院长
⇨ see also

dean

2. (NAmE) =

head teacher

:
   Principal Ray Smith
   雷 · 史密斯校长
3. [usually sing.] (finance 财) an amount of money that you lend to sb or invest to earn interest
   本金；资本
4. the person who has the most important part in a play, an

opera

, etc.
   主要演员；主角
5. (technical 术语) a person that you are representing, especially in business or law
   (尤指商务或法律事务的)当事人,委托人

principal noun

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principal adj.

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prin·ci·pal
I. \ˈprin(t)səpəl, -səbəl also -inzp- or -in(t)sp-\ adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin principalis first, principal, from princip-, princeps first person, chief + -alis -al — more at
1. : most important, consequential, or influential : relegating comparable matters, items, or individuals to secondary rank : , ,
 < his chief friend and principal ally — Anthony Trollope >
 < a chicken stew of which the principal ingredient was not chicken but sea cucumber — John Steinbeck >
2. obsolete : of or relating to a prince :
3. : of, relating to, or constituting principal or a principal: as
 a. :
  < principal costs >
  < invested a principal sum >
 b. : being the person chiefly concerned in some legal proceeding
4. : 6
Synonyms: see
II. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin principalis, from Latin, adjective, principal
1. : a person who has controlling authority or is in a position to act independently : one who has a leading position or takes the lead: as
 a. : a chief or head man or woman : one presiding as ruler, leader, superior, or lord
 b. : the chief executive officer of various educational institutions
  < the principal of our grade school >
  < the vice-chancellor of some British universities is known as the principal >
 c. : one who employs another to act for him subject to his general control and instruction : the person from whom an agent's responsibility derives
 d. : the chief actor or an actual participant in a crime including anyone present and actively abetting or assisting therein as distinguished from an accessory either before or after the fact
 e. : the person primarily liable on a legal obligation or the one who will ultimately bear the burden because of a duty to indemnify another as distinguished from one secondarily liable (as an endorser, surety, or guarantor)
 f. : one fighting or pledged to fight a duel — compare
 g. : a leading performer (as in a drama, opera, orchestra, or ballet) : a person taking a chief part in a theatrical performance :
 h. : 1
2. : a matter or thing of primary importance : a main or most important element: as
 a.
  (1) : a capital sum placed at interest, due as a debt, or used as a fund
  (2) : the corpus or main body of an estate, portion, devise, or bequest — distinguished from income
 b. : the construction that gives shape and strength to a roof and that is generally one of several trusses of timber or iron; also : the most important member of a piece of framing
 c. archaic : a fundamental point :
 d. : one of the taper-bearing pillars formerly used to decorate a hearse
 e. : an original (as of a writing or work of art) from which copies are, may be, or have been made
 f. : either of the two outermost primaries of a hawk's wing
 g.
  (1) : the chief open metallic stop in an English pipe organ that is an octave above the open diapason and consists of a 4-foot stop on the manual, an 8-foot stop on the pedal
  (2) usually capitalized : an octave or 4-foot stop — used in combination
   < dulciana Principal >
 h.
  (1) : the chief motif or feature in a work of art
  (2) : a fugue subject — compare
 i. : a trumpet of a kind used prominently in old orchestral music (as of Handel)
III. \|prin(t)sə|päl\ noun
(plural principa·les \ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈpä(ˌ)lās\)
Etymology: Spanish, from Late Latin principalis chief, leading person

: a leading man or one of the first citizens of a Philippine or Latin American community