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Synonyms of 'principal'

adjective

mainDictionary, leading, chiefTheir principal concern is that of winning the next election.
main
My main concern now is to protect the children.
leading
Britain's future as a leading industrial nation depends on investment.
chief
Financial stress is acknowledged as a chief reason for divorce.
prime
Political stability is a prime concern.
first
The first priority for development is to defeat inflation.
highest
controlling
strongest
capital
key
essential
Two essential elements must be proven: motive and opportunity.
primary
His primary aim in life is to be happy.
most important
dominant
She was a dominant figure in the film industry.
arch
cardinal
As a salesman, your cardinal rule is to do everything you can to satisfy the customer.
paramount
The welfare of the children must be of paramount importance.
foremost
He was one of the world's foremost scholars.
pre-eminent
He is the pre-eminent political figure in the country.
Opposites
minor
subsidiary
subordinate
inferior
supplementary
auxiliary

noun

1 headmaster or headmistress, head (informal), directorthe principal of the local high school
headmaster or headmistress
head (informal)
full of admiration for the head and teachers
director
dean
dean of the faculty
head teacher
One of the photos must be signed by your head teacher.
rector
master or mistress
2 bossDictionary, head, leaderthe principal of the company
boss
He cannot stand his boss.
head
heads of government from more than 100 countries
leader
the leader of the Conservative Party
director
He is the director of the unit.
chief (informal)
The new leader is the deputy chief of the territory's defence force.
master
My master ordered me to deliver the message.
ruler
superintendent
He became superintendent of the bank's East African branches.
baas (South Africa)
The word 'baas' is now regarded as an expression of servility.
sherang (Australian, New Zealand)
I am in touch with the head sherang at both sites
3 starDictionary, lead, leadersoloists and principals of The Scottish Ballet orchestra
star
Not all football stars are ill-behaved louts.
lead
Two dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet dance the leads.
leader
prima ballerina
first violin
leading man or lady
coryphée
4 capitalDictionary, money, assetsUse the higher premiums to pay the interest and principal on the debt.
capital
The company is having difficulties in raising capital.
money
A lot of money that you pay goes back to the distributor.
assets
working capital
capital funds
see principle
Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Additional synonyms

baas (South Africa)
a South African word for a boss: often used by Black or Coloured people addressing a White manager or overseer
The word 'baas' is now regarded as an expression of servility.
master
bo (informal)
chief
ruler
commander
head
overlord
overseer
cardinal
A cardinal rule or quality is the one that is considered to be the most important.
As a salesman, your cardinal rule is to do everything you can to satisfy the customer.
principal
first
highest
greatest
leading
important
chief
main
prime
central
key
essential
primary
fundamental
paramount
foremost
pre-eminent
chief
The chief cause, part, or member of something is the most important one.
Financial stress is acknowledged as a chief reason for divorce.
The job went to one of his chief rivals.
primary
highest
leading
main
prime
capital
central
key
essential
premier
supreme
most important
outstanding
principal
prevailing
cardinal
paramount
big-time (informal)
foremost
major league (informal)
predominant
uppermost
pre-eminent
especial

Video: pronunciation of 'principal'

Nearby words of 'principal'

  • prince
  • princely
  • princess
  • principal
  • principally
  • principle
  • principled
  • All ENGLISH synonyms that begin with 'P'

Source

Thesaurus for principal from the Collins English Thesaurus
1 2 3 4
Dictionary definition
Principal means first in order of importance.
See full definition of principal

Exclamations

Exclamations are short utterances that you make when you are very surprised or upset. They are not always whole sentences. Sometimes they are more like a noise than a word. In this case they are call...
Read more about 'Exclamations'
Scrabble score for 'principal': 15
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