10. principal a capital sum, as distinguished from interest or profit.
11. principal the main body of an estate, or the like, as distinguished from income.
12. principal (in a framed structure) a member, as a truss, upon which adjacent or similar members depend for support or reinforcement.
13. principal each of the combatants in a duel, as distinguished from the seconds.
Etymology: (1250–1300; ME < L prīncipālis first, chief =prīncip- (see prince ) +-ālis -al1)
Definition of 'principal'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (noun)principal the originalamount of a debt on which interest is calculated
2. (noun)principal, school principal, head teacher, head the educator who has executive authority for a school "she sent unruly pupils to see the principal"
3. (noun)star, principal, lead an actor who plays a principal role
4. (noun)principal, corpus, principal sum capital as contrasted with the income derived from it
5. (noun)principal (criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offense, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement
6. (adj)principal, dealer the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account
7. (adj)chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a), master(a) most important element "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch"
1. (adjective)principal most important; = main her principal reasons for leaving
2. (noun)principal the head of a school He was sent to the principal's office.
Definition of 'principal'
Webster Dictionary
1. (adj)principal highest in rank, authority, character, importance, or degree; most considerable or important; chief; main; as, the principal officers of a Government; the principal men of a state; the principal productions of a country; the principal arguments in a case
2. (adj)principal of or pertaining to a prince; princely
3. (noun)principal a leader, chief, or head; one who takes the lead; one who acts independently, or who has controlling authority or influence; as, the principal of a faction, a school, a firm, etc.; -- distinguished from a subordinate, abettor, auxiliary, or assistant
4. (noun)principal the chiefactor in a crime, or an abettor who is present at it, -- as distinguished from an accessory
5. (noun)principal a chief obligor, promisor, or debtor, -- as distinguished from a surety
6. (noun)principal one who employs another to act for him, -- as distinguished from an agent
7. (noun)principal a thing of chief or prime importance; something fundamental or especially conspicuous
8. (noun)principal a capital sum of money, placed out at interest, due as a debt or used as a fund; -- so called in distinction from interest or profit
9. (noun)principal the construction which gives shape and strength to a roof, -- generally a truss of timber or iron, but there are roofs with stone principals. Also, loosely, the most important member of a piece of framing
Definitions of principal 
Afrikaans: hoof
Arabic: رَئيسي
Bulgarian: главен
Brazilian: principal
Czech: hlavní
German: hauptsächlich
Danish: vigtig; hoved-
Greek: κυριότερος
Spanish: principal
Estonian: tähtsaim
Farsi: اصلی
Finnish: pääasiallinen
French: principal
Hebrew: עִיקָרִי
Hindi: मुख्य, प्रधान, प्रमुख, मू
Hungarian: fő
Indonesian: terpenting
Icelandic: megin-
Italian: principale
Japanese: 主要な
Korean: 주요한
Lithuanian: pagrindinis, svarbiausias
Latvian: galvenais; svarīgākais
Malay: utama
Dutch: voornaamste
Norwegian: hoved-, viktigst
Polish: główny
Persian: اصلی
Pashto: اصلى
Portuguese: principal
Romanian: principal
Russian: главный
Slovak: hlavný
Slovenian: glaven
Serbian: glavni
Swedish: huvudsaklig, viktigast
Thai: สำคัญมากกว่าอย่างอื่น
Turkish: temel
Taiwanese: 最重要的
Ukrainian: головний, основний
Urdu: اول، اعلي
Vietnamese: chính
Chinese: 最重要的
