# principal

/ˈpɹɪnsəpəɫ/ (US) · /pɹˈɪnsɪpəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/principal
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. finance

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the original amount of money you borrow or invest, not including the interest.

For teachers: the capital sum of a loan or investment as distinguished from interest or profit.

- If you pay off the principal quickly, you will owe less interest over time.
- The borrower requested a restructuring of the debt to allow for smaller monthly payments toward the principal while maintaining the current interest rate.

Usage: Usually functions as an uncountable noun in this context.

### 3. main performer

noun · CEFR B2

the most important actor or dancer in a show.

For teachers: a person who takes a leading part in a play, opera, or ballet company.

- She was promoted to principal dancer after her amazing performance in Swan Lake.
- The principals of the touring company were praised for their technical precision and emotional depth during the opening night of the festival.

### 4. legal/business

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

a person who has the main responsibility in a business or a legal agreement.

For teachers: the person or party who has primary responsibility for an obligation or who authorises another to act as an agent.

- The agent signed the contract on behalf of the principal.
- In a principal-agent relationship, the agent is legally bound to act in the best interests of the principal at all times.

### 5. most important

adjective · CEFR B2

the main or most important part of something.

For teachers: first in order of importance; primary or main.

- The principal reason for the meeting was to discuss the new budget.
- The principal challenge facing the engineering team was the integration of legacy software with the new cloud-based architecture.

Usage: Always placed before the noun it modifies.

## Examples

- The principal spoke to the students during the morning assembly.
- After five years of monthly payments, she finally started to reduce the principal of her student loan.
- The school principal implemented a new policy to improve literacy rates, while simultaneously managing the capital principal required for the upcoming campus expansion.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.