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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of principal
Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 20 Nov. 2024
The author’s involvement could prove a hurdle to having the principals from the films involved in the series.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
Brendan Le, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
In March 2023, Enrico Lopez-Yañez was named principal pops conductor for the Pacific Symphony, and in October of this year Limor Tomer was tapped to be the new vice president to head performing arts programs at Segerstrom Center.
—Samantha Dunn, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for principal 
Noun
The committee — which is required to have minority representation — will be made up of teachers, a board member, a principal, a parent and a classified employee.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 20 Nov. 2024
The author’s involvement could prove a hurdle to having the principals from the films involved in the series.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Out of the original principal cast, Federer stayed on the production the longest, leaving in January 2006.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
In March 2023, Enrico Lopez-Yañez was named principal pops conductor for the Pacific Symphony, and in October of this year Limor Tomer was tapped to be the new vice president to head performing arts programs at Segerstrom Center.
—Samantha Dunn, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for principal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principal
Noun
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Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston’s unit had an array of stars on Saturday.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
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The city is expecting 500,000 tourists for the pop star’s six-night, two-weekend stand of her Eras tour.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Cortisol: As the body’s main stress hormone, cortisol is essential for managing stress.Priya Oberoi, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
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The Bureaus of Land Management and Ocean Energy Management, as well as the Forest Service, are the three main entities that issue oil and gas leases on public spaces.Li Zhou, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Related article Remote work crackdown: How Trump’s DOGE could push federal workers to quit Musk also called out the Department of Energy’s chief climate officer in its loan programs office.Hadas Gold, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
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That should be good news for employers looking to boost worker morale, Kelly Baker, chief human resources officer at financial services organization Thrivent, tells Fortune.Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Theoretically, the broadcast ban was aimed at both loyalist and republican groups, but the primary target was Sinn Féin and, consequently, Gerry Adams.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
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This decrease is attributed to lower sales volume and delays in shipping from a primary supplier.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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After a brief impression of Judy, Paris offered some insight into one of the girls’ foremost comedic influences growing up.Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
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Alex Sarian, the president and CEO of Arts Commons, one of Canada’s foremost centers for the arts, thinks the answer is a crisis of relevance.Timothy J. McClimon, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In District 10, which Mahan represented before becoming mayor, George Casey has defeated incumbent Arjun Batra after jumping out to a commanding lead and winning 57.8% of the vote in his district, according to Friday evening’s vote tally by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Gallego took a commanding early lead over Lake in the initial results.Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Another pattern emerges when the data gets cut by the four predominant generations in the workforce.Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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One search through artificial intelligence chatbots generates an exponential amount of 25 times more electricity than a Google search and will become the predominant energy consumer across several countries in a mere number of years.Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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However, it is frequently overlooked by general celebrants of the spooky holiday who are not supreme enthusiasts of the King of Pop.Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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The supreme leader has also vowed to start stoning women to death in public again.Harriet Marsden, The Week UK, theweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near principal
Cite this Entry
“Principal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principal. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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