If someone says that they are a principal, what does that mean? If they describe something as principal, does that mean something else? This article will clarify the difference between the adjective principal and the noun principal. Then, it will provide example sentences that contain the word principal to teach you how to use it in a sentence.

Finally, this article will conclude with a list of translations, synonyms, and antonyms of the word principal. By reading this article, you will become an expert on the word principal!

What Does Principal Mean?

According to Dictionary, the definition of principal is an adjective meaning highest in rank or importance. Therefore, something principal is chief or foremost. Principal can also refer to the main amount of money in a loan, also known as the capital sum.

The noun principal also refers to the headteacher or head of a school or educational institution. For example, the word principal can refer to the head of an elementary school, middle school, or high school. At the college and university level, people often use the word dean instead.

A principal is also a leading performer, such as in a play or other type of theatrical performance. The pronunciation of principal is ˈprɪn sə pəl, and principal is three syllables: prin-ci-pal.

How Can We Use Principal in a Sentence?

The word principal is both an adjective and a noun. Therefore, we can use the word principal in several ways in sentences. Take a look at the below example sentences containing this new word of the day and see if you can determine which part of speech principal is.

After you feel comfortable and confident in your knowledge of the word principal, see if you can use this word as a noun and an adjective in your own daily life!

Example #1: The High School Principal

We hid in the closet from our high school principal as we ditched class. We knew that we would get an in-school suspension if we got caught, which was the worst type of punishment.

Question: What part of speech is the word principal in the above sentence?

Answer: Principal is a noun in the above sentence.

Question #2: The Important Executive

Impressing the chief executive would be principal in increasing our budget for the year. If he didn’t think we were worthy of an increase, production would cease. We were very nervous about the meeting.

Question: What part of speech is the word principal in the above sentence?

Answer: Principal is an adjective in the above sentence.

Question #3: The Loan Payment

The borrower was paying more interest on the original amount than the principal amount in their monthly payment. However, they would begin to pay off more of the actual capital after the first year.

Question: What part of speech is the word principal in the above sentence?

Answer: Principal is an adjective in the above sentence.

Question #4: The Main Reason

The principal reason I chose to move to New York was to work as a ballerina. I had been in the company for four years when I was finally promoted to principal.

Question: What part of speech is the word principal in the above sentence?

Answer: Principal is an adjective and a noun in the above sentence.

What Is the Etymology of Principal?

The word principal entered Middle English in the mid-1200s, from the Old French princeps and the Latin principalis.

What Are Translations of Principal?

Many languages other than American English and British English have their own translations of the word principal, listed below from Nice Translator.

Norwegian: rektor
Hungarian: fő
Spanish: principal
Bengali: অধ্যক্ষ
Japanese: 主要な
German: Rektor, hauptsächlich
Estonian: peaosa
Italian: principale
Catalan: principal
Chinese (PRC): 主要的
Welsh: phrifathro
Vietnamese: hiệu trưởng, chính
Polish: główny
Dutch: voornaam
Arabic: المالك
Amharic: ርዕሰ መምህሩ
French: principal
Slovenian: glavna
Gujarati: આચાર્યશ્રી
Portuguese (Brazil): diretor
Bulgarian: главен
Lithuanian: pagrindinis
Hindi: प्रधान अध्यापक
Danish: rektor
Swahili: Mkuu
Icelandic: aðalmaður
Tamil: முதன்மை
Indonesian: Kepala Sekolah
Thai: อาจารย์ใหญ่
Ukrainian: директор
Malayalam: മുഖമായ
Portuguese (Portugal): diretor
Filipino: punong -guro
Finnish: pää-
Hebrew: קֶרֶן
Marathi: प्राचार्य
Basque: nagusi
Korean: 주요한
Swedish: rektor
Russian: главный
Urdu: پرنسپل
Czech: ředitel školy, hlavní
Turkish: müdür
Serbian: главни
Latvian: direktors
Malay: pengetua
Romanian: principal
Kannada: ಪ್ರಧಾನ
Telugu: ప్రిన్సిపాల్
Slovak: hlavný
Chinese (Taiwan): 主要的
Croatian: glavni
Greek: σχολειου

What Are Synonyms of Principal?

Power Thesaurus provides several words that you can use in place of the word principal. Some are synonyms of the noun, and others are synonyms of the adjective.

administrator
basic
boss
capital
captain
cardinal
central
chairman
chairperson
chancellor
chief
commander
core
crucial
dean
director
dominant
essential
first
focal
foremost
fundamental
governor
greatest
head
headteacher
headmaster
headmistress
highest
important
key
lead
leader
leading
main
major
manager
master
most important
number one
number-one
overriding
paramount
pivotal
predominant
preeminent
premier
president
primary
prime
prominent
star
superintendent
superior
supervisor
supreme
uppermost
vital

What Are Antonyms of Principal?

You can also reference Power Thesaurus to find antonyms of the word principal.

acolyte
agent
aide
ancillary
assistant
atrocious
attendant
auxiliary
awful
bad
base
bottom
bush-league
collateral
common
deficient
extra
frivolous
inconsiderable
inessential
inferior
insignificant
junior
last
less important
lesser
little
lousy
low
low-grade
lower
mediocre
minor
negligible
nonessential
paltry
peripheral
petty
poor
second
second-class
second-rate
secondary
slight
small
subordinate
subsidiary
supplementary
trifling
trivial
underdog
unimportant
worst

Conclusion

As an adjective, principal means the most important or the foremost. As a noun, the word principal can refer to any chief or head, such as the lead of a play or the head of a school.

Sources:

Synonyms – 2 231 Words and Phrases for Principal | Power Thesaurus

Antonyms – 810 Opposites of Principal | Power Thesaurus

Principal Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Principal | Nice Translator

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.