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
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Recent Examples of principal
CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Born in Portugal, Carvalho previously taught physics, chemistry and calculus in Miami and was later an assistant principal at Miami Jackson Senior High School.
—Helen Jeong, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
As a principal investigator on NASA’s Hubble space telescope and NASA’s Spitzer space telescope, one of his foremost interests was the lambent of arcs of streaking stars called stellar streams that swirl around the outskirts of the Milky Way.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principal
Noun
And, not only will the principal be protected and the interest potentially significant, but CDs are also FDIC-insured, offering peace of mind to savers who are foregoing access to their money for multiple years.
—CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Born in Portugal, Carvalho previously taught physics, chemistry and calculus in Miami and was later an assistant principal at Miami Jackson Senior High School.
—Helen Jeong, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, principal conductor of Dallas Symphony Presents, will be on the podium, as well as for pops concerts featuring music of Elvis Presley (with Frankie Moreno and his band), music of pop queens of the ’90s and ’00s and vocalist Mandy Gonzalez singing Lin-Manuel Miranda.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
As a principal investigator on NASA’s Hubble space telescope and NASA’s Spitzer space telescope, one of his foremost interests was the lambent of arcs of streaking stars called stellar streams that swirl around the outskirts of the Milky Way.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principal
Noun
-
The Lightning entered on a 22-game winning streak, focused on defense and led by a senior point guard worthy of a duel against the Knights’ star point guard.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Will Rogers, a newspaper columnist and vaudeville monologuist—an influencer of the nineteen-tens and twenties—became a movie star who essentially played himself.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Flight disruption Dubai Airports confirmed that all flights in and out of the city’s two main airports have been suspended until further notice.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Cantor was referring to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, formed in 1927 and seen as a company union whose main purpose was less to honor excellence in the motion picture arts than to keep a tight rein on artists who wanted a bigger slice of the pie.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rosen, who has been an executive vice president and chief marketing officer with the Dodgers since 2012 when Mark Walter and Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased the club, took over the Lakers job after Tim Harris resigned from that role.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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Her husband also works for the two-person business as its chief political strategist.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But California has a top-two primary system in which all candidates run against each other regardless of party, advancing to the November general election if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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The excursion was part of a larger Cook County program that is bringing early voting sites to 24 suburban Cook County high schools, allowing eligible students and staff to cast their Illinois primary ballot early with more convenience.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Falcons needed stability at quarterback, and Cousins, who is maybe the world’s foremost aficionado of cheesy sports movies with fairytale finishes, had a chance to write a warm and fuzzy end to his story.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The capture of Donetsk and Luhansk -- which together form the Donbas area -- is the foremost Kremlin goal.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In an indictment Thursday, federal prosecutors said Kevin Taylor attempted to steer an $11 million contract toward the company, SaferWatch, while serving as the commanding officer of the department's School Safety Division.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The President demoted Greg Bovino, the commanding agent in charge of the roving patrols that have besieged Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
With the war increasingly breaking down along the country’s predominant Arab and African ethnic groups, Sudan faces the task of rebuilding a national identity along with all the other trappings of a state.—
Cameron Hudson,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The predominant response of official Washington was to ignore this warning like the ones before it.—
Ramesh Ponnuru,
Washington Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One filter provides supreme taste and the other eliminates contaminants, all with a lightweight, flexible design.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
-
This supreme failure of oversight puts Marylanders at risk.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principal. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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