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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of principal
Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 5 Jan. 2026
His elder brother John, a retired Catholic-school principal, confirmed that Leo was a White Sox fan and liked the thin-crust pizza at Aurelio’s; Sox fans started showing up at home games dressed in papal garb, and Aurelio’s introduced a pie called the Poperoni.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Lacey Ramburger, The Spruce, 5 Jan. 2026
Virginia Halas McCaskey was the principal owner of the team until her death in February 2025 at 102.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for principal
Noun
Debbie Mathews LeRoy is the owner and principal at her eponymous design and antiques firm.
—Adjective
Search for Vintage Pieces Rather than searching for brand-new accessories, Michelle Accetta, founder and principal designer of Michelle Accetta Home, recommends going for vintage pieces.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for principal
Noun
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The White Lotus breakout star and Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television, Aimee Lou Wood, held hands with her beau Adam Long.—
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Kittle is one of many 49ers stars to be injured this season and unable finish the biggest game of the season.—
Adjective
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And one of its main ingredients was a hair product – Afro Sheen.—
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Then the Orion capsule will fire up its main thruster and shoot off towards the Moon on its 240,000-mile, four-day journey.—
Adjective
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The ship returned to PortMiami as scheduled Saturday morning, according to Carnival chief communications officer Chris Chiames.—
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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.—
Adjective
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If the recovering addicts’ primary task was to filter out women who wouldn’t qualify to sue—namely, those who didn’t have pelvic mesh or who did but weren’t in pain—Blake’s was to amp up the value of their lawsuits (and attorneys’ fees) by convincing them to have their mesh surgically removed.—
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The other available Heat players who were out of the primary rotation Saturday were Keshad Johnson, Simone Fontecchio, Kasparas Jakucionis and Myron Gardner.—
Adjective
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My colleague Jeff, one of the foremost space experts in the world, just published a feature on the efforts to build data centers in space.—
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Many of the city’s foremost bakers — including Sherry Yard, Nancy Silverton, Sumi Chang — brought cookies to share.—
Adjective
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At this point, Lawrence needs a commanding postseason display to turn that around.—
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The Colorado Avalanche solidified their lead atop the Central Division on Sunday, emphatically, building a commanding lead and giving Minnesota Wild fans precious little to cheer about.—
Adjective
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Still, the predominant image of Levi Strauss heir Lurie is that of an earnest problem solver blending private sector agility with an ability to experiment with public policy.—
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The predominant symptoms experienced by the ill passengers and crew members were vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.—
Adjective
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In the 1980s, simple was for suckers, and decadence ruled supreme.—
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The talks were canceled, and in September Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected any direct nuclear negotiations with the United States.—
Cite this Entry
“Principal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principal. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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