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
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Recent Examples of principal
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2025
The trailer also introduces Steve Buscemi as the school’s new principal, Barry Dort, and plenty of creepy dolls.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 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
Then there’s Gwendoline Christie’s school principal Larissa Weems, who was killed by Christina Ricci’s Laurel Gates.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2025
The trailer also introduces Steve Buscemi as the school’s new principal, Barry Dort, and plenty of creepy dolls.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 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
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Steel previously represented rap star Young Thug during his RICO trial.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double to put the team up 4-3 in the bottom of the inning when players from his team frantically tried to alert umpires and security the fan was on the warning track.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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The Bills will very likely want to find someone who can offer more versatility somewhere else while being their main returner, and running back might be the best place to find one.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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These kinds of breaches often happen quietly, exposing large amounts of customer information without touching a company’s main systems.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Tom Buckingham, chief growth officer at Nassau Financial Group and retirement planner, told Newsweek that this is for a number of reasons.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
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Faced with potential federal spending cuts that threaten health coverage and falling childhood vaccination rates, Monica Soni, the chief medical officer of Covered California, has a lot on her plate — and on her mind.—
Bernard J. Wolfson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Lawmakers passed a new law this year that will make firing squads the state's primary method of execution, starting next year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2025
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Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Naeem Ghauri,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
This return to immigration law-and-order was the foremost promise of his 2024 campaign.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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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 3 May. 2025.
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