principal

comparative more principal · superlative most principal · alternative obsolete principall

1. Primary; most important; first level in importance.

   Smith is the principal architect of this design.

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   The principal cause of the failure was poor planning.

   In a word, the Epiſodes of Homer are complete Epiſodes; they are proper to the ſubject, because they are drawn from the ground of the fable; they are ſo joined to the principal action, that one is the neceſſary conſequence of the other, either truly or probably: and laſtly, they are imperfect members which do not make a complete and finiſhed body; for an Epiſode that makes a complete action, cannot be part of a principal action; as is eſſential to all Epiſodes.

   1725, Homer, “Book IX”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume II, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 186

   For many years, Oslo had no railway communication with Bergen and Stavanger, the principal seaports on the south-west coast.

   1956 April, H. A. Vallance, “To Oslo via Stavanger”, in Railway Magazine, page 213

   The principal treasure of ths department, however, is the Stele of Hammurabi (1792—1750 B.C.), king of the first Babylonian kingdom, a basalt cylinder 2.25m/7ft 5in. inscribed with Hammurabi's laws written in Akkadian in cuneiform script.

   1995, Madeleine Cabos, Baedeker Paris, page 105

   In theory, there are the same number of principal components as there are variables, but in practice, usually only a few of the principal components need to be identified to account for most of the data variance.

   2005, Ruth N. Collins, “Application of Phylogenetic Algorithms to Assess Rab Functional Relationships”, in Sidney P. Colowick, Alan Hall, editors, Methods in Enzymology, volume 403, page 22

   Synonyms: chief, main, primary, capital

2. LatinismobsoleteOf or relating to a prince; princely.

   But walkt at will, and wandred to and fro, / In the pride of his freedome principall.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

3. mathematicsChosen 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.

plural principals · alternative obsolete principall

1. uncountablebusinessThe money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated.

   Coordinate term: interest

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   A portion of your mortgage payment goes to reduce the principal, and the rest covers interest.

   In March 1902, I find in the statement of liabilities and assets £711 put down as arrears of interest, but there is no entry of arrears of principal.

   1902, William Pember Reeves, State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand, volume 1, Cambridge University Press, published 2011, page 342

   2012, Denis Clifford, Plan Your Estate, 11th Edition, NOLO, US, page 298, For instance, in some states, dividends that have automatically been reinvested will be treated as principal.

   If you know the principal amount, the interest rate, and the number of years the payments will be made, you can consult an amortization calculator or schedule to arrive at the monthly payment.

   2012, Fred Steingold, Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business, page 88

2. AustraliaCanadaNew ZealandPhilippinesUScountableuncountableThe chief administrator of a school.

   2011, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2011-2012, page 45, Principals are now being held more accountable for the performance of students and teachers, while at the same time they are required to adhere to a growing number of government regulations.

   3 more examples

   The important administrative figure to the teacher is the school principal.

   1971, Louis Kaplan, Education and Mental Health, page 413

   The problem was neatly summed up by one principal in Australia who said recently: ‘There is no incentive for me to develop my best teachers to become my successor.[…]’

   2008, Brian Dive, The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountability, page 212

   Now renamed Teaching Australia, its officers are undertaking exploratory steps in developing professional standards for school leaders. A National Standards Drafting Group of volunteer principals is currently drafting principal standards (Teaching Australia, 2007).

   2009, Colin J. Marsh, Key Concepts for Understanding Curriculum, page 132

   Synonyms: headteacher, headmaster, headmistress

3. CanadaUKcountableuncountableThe chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college.

   Coordinate term: bursar

   1 more example

   1967, University of Edinburgh Graduates′ Association, University of Edinburgh Journal, Volumes 23-24, page 314, Unlike the students, Principal Robertson, who now resided almost alone in the College, continued to use the accustomed route on his visits to the Old Town; and it “became the joke of the day that from being the principal gate it had become only a gate for the Principal.”⁵

   Synonyms: dean, rector

4. countableuncountablelawA 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.

   My principal sells metal shims.

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   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.

   The firm admitted the amount owed, but averred as an affirmative defense that it had hired the expert as an agent of a disclosed principal, the client.

   1958, American Law Institute., Restatement of the Law, Second: Agency 2d, volume 7, page 533

   A food broker has been defined as an independent sales agent who performs the services of negotiating the sale of food and/or grocery products for and on account of the seller as principal.

   1966, Pan American Union, The Marketing Structure for Selected Processed Food Products: In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, The Federal Republic of Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom, page 34

   2009, California Continuing Education of the Bar, California Probate Code, page 375, An attorney-in-fact has a duty to act solely in yhe interest of the principal and to avoid conflicts of interest.

   Synonyms: client

5. countableuncountablelawThe primary participant in a crime.

   The accessories may be prosecuted, tried and punished, though the principal has not been prosecuted or has been acquitted.

   1915, Eugene Allen Gilmore, Wiliam Charles Wermuth, Modern American Law, page 125

   Synonyms: ringleader

6. countableuncountableEither party in a duel.

   The old man raised his arm as though it had been palsied, and fired, of course without effect. The other principal immediately deloped, much to the satisfaction of my friend and all present.

   1868, Andrew Steinmetz, The Romance of Duelling in All Times and Countries, volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, page 107

7. CanadaUScountableuncountableA partner or owner of a business.

   Synonyms: proprietor

8. countableuncountableentertainmentA type of stop on a pipe organ consisting of flue pipes with a bright tonal quality. They are also sometimes referred to as a diapason.
9. countableuncountablearchitectureThe construction that gives shape and strength to a roof, generally a truss of timber or iron; or, loosely, the most important member of a piece of framing.
10. countableuncountableThe first two long feathers of a hawk's wing.

    The first two feathers - Principals

    1856, John Henry Walsh, Manual of British Rural Sports

    1 more example

    a birde whose principals be scarce growne out

    1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC

11. countableuncountableOne of the turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and tapers with which the posts and centre of a funeral hearse were formerly crowned
12. countableobsoleteuncountableAn essential point or rule; a principle.

    Set two classes of monitors to question each other; so that one may try to outquestion the other. Explain to them the principal of every subject they have to teach.

    1847, Great Britain. Committee on Education, Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, page 446

13. countableuncountableA dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company.
14. countableuncountablecomputingA security principal.
15. countableuncountableA main character or lead actor.

    Silverberg also gives the reader reader some excellent character insight; deep probes into the minds of all the principals bring the reader closer to the persons involved than might be thought possible with the plot so far removed from the realm of normality.

    1973 August 4, J. Ralf Green, “The Hossenpfepper Column”, in Gay Community News, page 3