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
as in stars
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of principal
Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 9 Nov. 2025
He’s listed as a principal, vice president and director on the firm’s website.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Nov. 2025
Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Suarez, the event’s principal moderator, inquired of Jeff Bezos, who spent some of his childhood in the area.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Former school principals scrubbed toilets; physicists became cashiers.
—Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principal
Noun
Elementary principals will communicate individual building adjustments.
—Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 9 Nov. 2025
He’s listed as a principal, vice president and director on the firm’s website.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Jennifer Fordham is the principal designer at Pembrook Interiors, based in Virginia.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Suarez, the event’s principal moderator, inquired of Jeff Bezos, who spent some of his childhood in the area.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
Wilson was a constant presence at public forums and knew many principals and administrators on a first-name basis.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Former school principals scrubbed toilets; physicists became cashiers.
—Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for principal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principal
Adjective
-
But for much of the past two centuries, Port Renfrew’s main source of employment was not promoting trees but rather chopping them down—particularly, giant, old-growth trees that fetched the highest value.—
Brad Badelt,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Rachelle Salnave, a filmmaker in Haiti, sent me videos of a piece of the Route Nationale, the country’s main transportation artery, collapsing like a glacier into a roiling, swollen river.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The ship returned to PortMiami as scheduled Saturday morning, according to Carnival chief communications officer Chris Chiames.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Much like Blue Origin’s chief competitor, SpaceX — which has long been a dominant force in the commercial launch business — Blue Origin rockets are designed to be partially reused in order to drive down costs.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
This discount shall apply only to the primary residence of the user and shall not apply to separate irrigation meters.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Last season’s Most Improved Player was the primary defender on Dončić, who was held to 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field in 27 minutes.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the massive buildout, Al Khateeb assured the crowd that protecting the natural environment remains a foremost concern of Saudi Arabia’s government.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The unscripted series pairs Snooki with Kevin Whitaker, one of Canada’s foremost psychic mediums.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The World Series continues with Game 6 as the Dodgers look to take a commanding 3-1 lead.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Taylor opted to go sans top beneath the jacket, heightening the commanding sensual style.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Crime and safety, particularly in Downtown, were the predominant issues in the race, especially after a string of high-profile incidents this summer and fall.—
Jordan Kellogg,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Despite the concerns around African democracy, Afrobarometer’s annual African Insights survey shows voting in elections remains the predominant form of political and civic engagement, with nearly three-quarters of respondents voting in their country’s elections last year.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This was the weekend when Liverpool finally won a league match, Arsenal continued in supreme form at the top, Wolves sacked Vitor Pereira and Chelsea earned their annual victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The supreme athleticism is still there.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The first indication that dark energy may not be as dominant as previously thought emerged courtesy of the first results from DESI in Spring 2024.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
While Kalshi and Polymarket remain the dominant players, other challengers are emerging.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Principal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principal. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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