principal
pronunciation
How to pronounce principal in British English:
UK [ˈprɪnsəpl]
How to pronounce principal in American English:
US [ˈprɪnsəpl]
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- Noun:
- the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
- the educator who has executive authority for a school
- an actor who plays a principal role
- capital as contrasted with the income derived from it
- the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account
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- Adjective:
- most important element
Word Origin
- principal (adj.)
- c. 1300, "main, principal, chief, dominant, most important;" also "great, large," from Old French principal "main, most important," of persons, "princely, high-ranking" (11c.), from Latin principalis "first in importance; original, primitive," from princeps "first man, chief, leader" (see prince).
- principal (n.)
- c. 1300, "ruler, governor;" also "main part;" from principal (adj.) or from or influenced by noun uses in Old French and Latin. From 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.
Example
- 1. Europe 's principal problem isn 't the size of its members ' debt and deficits .
- 2. His principal management tool is a detailed , weekly profit report on every operation .
- 3. But under the european plan , the only backstop is the principal in the efsf .
- 4. Commentators on global english ask three principal questions .
- 5. Even the school principal would be evaluated on such statistics .