principal

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the educator who has executive authority for a school

   Unruly pupils were sent to see the principal.

2. 2
   adj

   Primary; most important; first level in importance.

   Smith is the principal architect of this design.

3. 3
   adj

   Of or relating to a prince; princely.

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

4. 4
   adj

   Chosen 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.

5. 5
   noun

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

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

6. 6
   noun

   The chief administrator of a school.

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

7. 7
   noun

   The chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college.

   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

8. 8
   noun

   A 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.

   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.

Etymology

From Middle English principal, from Old French principal, from Latin prīncipālis.