PRINCIPAL Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

principal 1 of 2

noun

ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl

Definition of principal

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

principal

2 of 2

adjective

ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəl

as in main

coming before all others in importance our principal reason for coming here today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of principal

Noun

An attempt to reach Jefferson Athletic Director Donnie Siel Monday afternoon by phone went unanswered, as did an attempt to reach Jefferson principal Drake Shelton. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Non-dividend distributions are commonly known as return of capital — payment or distribution from a portion of an investor's original principal rather than an economic profit, capital gain, or dividend earnings. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Reached again after the claims about Trejo became public, the worker remained skeptical that the principal cast could have been so uninformed. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 Soderbergh has been longtime admirer of Reeves work, and with Reeves unable to be on set, the Oscar-winning director offered to help with finishing principal photography. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for principal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for principal

Noun

Longies, which make up the majority of GRBs, are associated with collapsing supermassive stars, whereas shorties are linked to crashes between two neutron stars.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
The Oscar-winning actress and former child star, who had a stroke in 2020, shared a rare photo of herself Friday on social media.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of star

Adjective

Spray bottle on bottom shelf of main prep table lacking label information.

— NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Through the program, this year’s Rising Stars will connect with industry leaders and take part in the festival’s main activities, from panel discussions and media engagements to the red carpet.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of main

Adjective

But this was apparently not the case, as per Victoria Secret’s chief creative officer Adam Selman.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Bassetti also confirmed that Lucas Green will stay on as chief content officer for operations, James Townley as chief content officer for development and Kate Humphreys as chief communications officer.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of chief

Adjective

The primary danger of these apps is not the fees associated with using just one, Feltner noted.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
The bill was introduced over a year ago, and its primary backer was the late Lindsey Graham, a veteran Republican senator who represented South Carolina.

— Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of primary

Adjective

Astaire is the world's foremost exponent of that particular variety of heart throb!

— David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
The former is one of the world's foremost entertainment capitals, and the latter has a starving fan base and state-of-the-art venue in Climate Pledge Arena.

— Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of foremost

Adjective

The defense team plans to employ Othram to conduct a Y-STR test, a method that isolates DNA from the Y chromosome to generate a profile of a male contributor in samples where female DNA is predominant.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
There are two predominant rumors about how a wild herd ended up in the Inland Empire, Spasojevic said.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominant

Adjective

The result is one of the most quietly dominant competitive positions in modern industry.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Georgia looked dominant in the opening minutes, even after Stockton had to leave after hitting the field helmet-first on the first play of the game.

— Charles Odum, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of dominant

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princesses

principal

principalities

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Style

“Principal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of principal

noun

adjective

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