1. Most important element
   "the principal rivers of America";
   - chief, main, primary, master

1. The original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
   "She made monthly payments to reduce the principal on her car loan"
    
2. The educator who has executive authority for a school
   "she sent unruly pupils to see the principal";
   - school principal, head teacher [Brit], head
    
3. Capital as contrasted with the income derived from it
   "He invested the principal sum and lived off the interest";
   - corpus, principal sum
    
4. An actor who plays a principal role
   "The principal in the play received a standing ovation";
   - star, lead
    
5. (criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offence, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement
   "The prosecutor argued that all three defendants were principals in the robbery"
    
6. The major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for their own account
   "The principal took a significant position in tech stocks";
   - dealer

Sounds like: pri

Derived forms: principals

See also: important, of import

Type of: actor, capital, debt, educator, financier, histrion [archaic], offender, pedagog [US], pedagogue, player, role player, thesp [Brit, informal], thespian, wrongdoer

Part of: loan

Encyclopedia: Principal, Ecuador