as in star
the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show
my cousin is one of the principals in a new sitcom this fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
our principal reason for coming here today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chief
highest in rank or authority
the principal researcher in the company's chemical division
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of principal
Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
More of your monthly payment goes toward the principal, which accelerates the process and saves time and money.
—Christina Majaski, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Meet Violet Bidwill, the NFL’s first female owner of the Cardinals
Chicago Bears matriarch Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died in February, was not the first woman to become principal owner of an NFL team.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principal
Noun
It was enacted in part to help pay principal and interest on new debt Orland Park expects to issue to pay for infrastructure work, according to the village.
—Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
More of your monthly payment goes toward the principal, which accelerates the process and saves time and money.
—Christina Majaski, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Techniques like principal component analysis (PCA) and feature selection help reduce data to its most important dimensions.
—Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Meet Violet Bidwill, the NFL’s first female owner of the Cardinals
Chicago Bears matriarch Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died in February, was not the first woman to become principal owner of an NFL team.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principal
Noun
-
How to see the Lyrids The meteors seem to emerge – or radiate – from the constellation Lyra, specifically a bright star named Vega, according to astronomers.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Now, last month, there was another star of the big screen in the ring, coaxing Cena to go over to the dark side.—
Obed Manuel,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The 9a's main camera takes 12MP images thanks to pixel binning, and the resulting shots are nearly identical to the Pixel 9 Pro's.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Approach with caution, look at reviews, and maybe don’t use your main credit card (or at least keep your bank’s dispute line handy).—
Francesca Krempa,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Extreme temperatures are fueled by the climate crisis, the chief driver of which is the burning of fossil fuels.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
-
That result was no surprise, according to Mitchell Elkind, MD, the chief clinical science officer at the American Heart Association.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The port has a heavy military presence in addition to being a primary hub for fuel imports, Yemeni sources said.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
In addition, the university will also serve as the primary sponsor at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, scheduled for 25 May 2025.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Ryan Ferrier,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The Iranians are responding to several inducements, foremost among them the staggering array of forces the United States has prepositioned in the Middle East.—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
On election day, early results gave Cárdenas a commanding lead over the PRI’s candidate, Carlos Salinas de Gortari.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
-
After the first leg in Lyon had ended 2-2 last week, United took a commanding lead in Thursday’s return fixture thanks to first-half goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The two main red grapes here are Syrah and Grenache, with Syrah the predominant variety in the north and Grenache holding first place in the south, where it is also blended with other grapes including Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
18 Apr. 2025
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For citizenship behavior, relationship quality was the predominant mediator.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The British royals briefly greeted onlookers after attending an Easter service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England, an important fixture in the 76-year-old monarch's calendar as Charles serves as supreme governor of the Church of England.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Pope Francis, supreme pastor to almost 1.5 billion Catholics, died on Monday at the age of 88.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Principal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principal. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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