English · Word Candidate

principal

/ˈpɹɪn.sɪ.pəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: principals

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Primary; most important; first level in importance.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Chính; quan trọng nhất; cấp độ đầu tiên về tầm quan trọng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Smith is the principal architect of this design.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Chosen or assumed among a branch of possible values of a multi-valued function so that the function is single-valued.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Được chọn hoặc giả định trong một nhánh của các giá trị có thể của một hàm đa giá trị để hàm đó là đơn giá trị

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Two is the principal square root of 4. Both −2 and +2 are square roots of 4.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tiền gốc ban đầu được đầu tư hoặc cho vay, trên cơ sở đó lãi suất và lợi nhuận được tính toán

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

A portion of your mortgage payment goes to reduce the principal, and the rest covers interest.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The chief administrator of a school.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người quản lý chính của một trường học

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: US

Examples

The important administrative figure to the teacher is the school principal.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “principal” mean?

Primary; most important; first level in importance.

Is “principal” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.