adj.(形容词)

1. 主要的，最重要的，首要的，第一的
2. 资本的，本金的，作为本钱的
3. 负责人的，首长的，领头的
4. 最大的，一流的
5. 有地位的

n.(名词)

1. 主角，主要演员
2. 本金，资本
3. 校长
4. 【法律】委托人；本人；当事人
5. 长，首长；社长；负责人；长官；会长
6. 独唱者
7. 首席演奏者，主奏者
8. 主动者
9. 决斗的本人
10. 【律】主犯

adj.(形容词)

1. [A]最重要的,主要的 highest in importance or position; main; chief

n.(名词)

1. [C]负责人,校长 the head of some universities, colleges and schools
2. [S]资本,本金 an amount of money lent, put into a business, etc. and on which interest is paid
3. [P]被代理人,委托人 person for whom another acts as his agent
4. [C]主犯 person directly responsible for a crime

Noun:

1. the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

2. the educator who has executive authority for a school;

   "she sent unruly pupils to see the principal"
   

3. an actor who plays a principal role

4. capital as contrasted with the income derived from it

5. (criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offense, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement

6. the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account

Adjective:

1. most important element;

   "the chief aim of living"
   "the main doors were of solid glass"
   "the principal rivers of America"
   "the principal example"
   "policemen were primary targets"
   "the master bedroom"
   "a master switch"
   

1.首要的；最主要的；最重要的
principal means first in order of importance.

e.g. Theprincipal reason for my change of mind is this.
这是我改变主意的最主要原因。
e.g. ...the country'sprincipal source of foreign exchange earnings...
这个国家最主要的外汇收入来源

2.（中小学）校长；（英国）大学校长，学院院长
Theprincipal of a school, or in Britain theprincipal of a college, is the person in charge of the school or college.

e.g. Donald King is theprincipal of Dartmouth High School.
唐纳德·金是达特茅斯中学的校长。

Our principal problem is lack of time.

我们的主要问题就是缺少时间。

My wages are the principal source of my income.

薪金是我收入的主要来源。

My principal concern is my family's welfare.

我至为关心的是我一家的幸福。

How much interest will there be on a principal of 5000?

5000美元本金的利息是多少？

Mr.Charlie Wang is a principal of Pangaea and responsible for capital management.

王岩先生现任磐石基金执行董事，负责资本管理。

The principal or capital,as distinguished from the interest or income,as of a fund or estate.

资金，基金或资产的本金或资本，以区别于利息或收入。

When I came into the office, the principal rose to welcome me.

当我走进办公室时,校长起身欢迎我。

He is going to fill the position of principal.

他将去担任中学校长的职务。

She danced the principal role in the ballet.

她在这个芭蕾舞中担任主角。

Through it all Richard Nixon moved as if he were himself a spectator, not the principal.

尼克松自始至终表现得象旁观者，而不是主角。

The agent spoke on behalf of his principal.

代理人代表他的委托人说话。

I will have to consult my principals before I can give you an answer on that.

我必须同我的委托人磋商后才能就这个问题给你答复。

Indeed I was the principal in the crime.

我真正做了这个罪恶的主犯。

Shall I work underground, bribing the paltry assistants in that foul conspiracy, until I find my way to the thrice guilty principal?

我要不要秘密进行追究，贿赂那肮脏密谋中的可鄙助手，直至我找到线索挖出那三倍有罪的主犯？

The principal reason for this omission is lack of time.

跳过它的主要原因是时间不足。

New roads will link the principal cities of the area.

新建道路将连通这个地区的主要城市。

Peter Brown, principal of St John's college

彼得·布朗，圣约翰学院院长

principal Ray Smith

雷·史密斯校长

The principal reason for my change of mind is this.

这是我改变主意的最主要原因。

...the country's principal source of foreign exchange earnings...

这个国家最主要的外汇收入来源

Donald King is the principal of Dartmouth High School.

唐纳德·金是达特茅斯中学的校长。

Familiar with FA procedure and testing standards.

熟悉FA流程和测试标准.

There is a shortage of principal.

资金有些短缺.

When he saw the principal, he raised his hand in salutation.

他看到校长时举手敬礼.

A principal criminal fell into the net.

要犯落网.

The game is up; the principal knows the boys have been smoking in the basement.

这下完了, 校长知道这些男孩们一直在地下室里抽烟.

Drinking is a principal cause of highway deaths.

酗酒是公路死亡事故的最主要的原因.

The details of the principal cause are not known.

主因未详.

The principal reproved the students for always staying away from school.

那个校长责备了那几个学生,因为他们总好逃学.

The principal made another vain appeal for better equipment in the school laboratory.

校长又一次请求增加学校实验设备,但又是一场空.

Ever since World War the United States has been Japan's principal trade partner.

二次世界大战以来,美国一直是日本的主要贸易伙伴.

The judge examined the principal witness.

法官询问了主要证人.

There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent.

由于校长没同意,学校里没有举行比赛.

The principal castigate the student who have insult their teacher.

校长谴责对老师不敬的学生.

I must consult my principal.

我必须同委托人商量.

The book was kindly and favourably reviewed in the principal papers.

这本书得到几家主要报纸的赞许和好评.

The principal tried to quiet the students.

校长试图让学生们安静下来.

A group of students asked to see the principal.

一批学生要求见校长.

用作定语～+ n.

1. Drinking is a principal cause of highway deaths.
   酗酒是公路死亡事故的最重要的原因。
2. She has been the principal dancer in our ballet for ten years.
   十年来她一直是我们芭蕾舞团的台柱演员。

1. He is the principal of this school.
   他是该学校的校长。
2. There is a shortage of principal.
   资金有些短缺。
3. I must consult my principals.
   我得同委托人商量一下。

～+名词

• principal%20food">principal food主要食物
• principal%20interest">principal interest本利
• principal%20offender">principal offender主犯
• principal%20sum">principal sum本金

动词+～

• principal">consult the principal与委托人商量
• principal%20and%20interest">pay off the principal and interest付清本息

名词+～

• principal">school principal校长

介词+～

• principal">as a principal作为主犯

～+介词

• principal%20in%20the%20first%20degree">principal in the first degree主犯
• principal%20of%20college">the principal of college学院院长

• His principal and most successful business venture.

  出自：J. Thurber

• The principal source of information.

  出自：N. Gordimer

Skin somebody alive-(活剥某人的皮)

A：What happened to Pat this morning? I saw him leave the classroom soon after the exam began.
帕特上午怎么了？我见他考试一开始就离开了教室。

B：He was found cheating and was driven out.
他被发现作弊，被老师赶了出来。

A：If theprincipal caught him cheating, he would skin him alive.
如果校长发现他作弊的话，会活剥了他他的皮。

adj.(形容词)

1. principal用作形容词的意思是“最重要的,主要的,首要的”,用于人时指其起的作用最大,而不指职位最高; 用于物时,指其在重要性上优于他物,起决定作用。
2. principal无比较级和最高级形式。

1. principal同principle的比较：两者的发音相同。principal作为形容词时，意思为“主要的”“最重要的”。 principal作为名词时意为“校长”。 而principle的意思为“科学定律或者是到个规范”。

   What's your principal reason for wanting to be a writer？

   If you want to leave early you'll have to ask the principal.

   He's a boy with very strong principles.

2. principal作为校长时，各地区用法不尽相同：在英国常表示牛津（Oxford)和剑桥（Cambridge)大学的若干学院（college)的院长，或是若干大学的校长。在美国仅仅只是表示中学或小学校长。而在苏格兰表示的是大学校长。

adj.(形容词)

principal, capital, chief, main

这组词均可表示“首要的”“重要的”。其区别在于:

1.capital, principal和chief既可修饰人,也可修饰物, main多修饰物,很少修饰人。例如:

He acted the principal hero in the play.他在那出戏中演主角。

It is allowed that pronunciation is one of the principal things in English.大家都认为发音是英语的一个重要方面。

We must focus on our sales force as the chief means of improving trade. 我们必须集中精力把广开销路作为促进贸易的主要手段来抓。

The chief cadres in charge should bear greater responsibility. 主要负责干部要多承担一些责任。

The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

2.capital指“一流的”,但不是“第一的”; chief指物时是“最重要的”,指人时是“职位最高的”; main和principal既可指“一流的”,也可指“第一的”。例如:

The trade union chief comrade boiled over when the men voted against him.那位工会首领在工人投他反对票时大发雷霆。

n.(名词)

principal, director, headmaster, president, schoolmaster

这组名词的共同意思是“校长”,但用于不同的学校要用不同的词:principal通常指中学校长,也可指小学校长或大学院长; headmaster指普通小学或中学的男性校长,在美国尤指私立学校的校长; director不仅指学校的校长,还可指各组织机构、团体等的负责人,如处长、局长、主任、厂长等; schoolmaster指小学、中学等一般学校的教师或校长; president指大学校长。例如:

The school principal announced the honor roll list.校长宣布了优等生名单。

Our headmaster is an old man.我们的校长是一位老人。

He is the director of the research center.他是研究中心的主任。

John is the schoolmaster of that secondary school.约翰是那所中学的校长。

He was the president of Harvard University.他是哈佛大学的校长。

chief，principal，main，major，leading，capital，foremost，primary

这些形容词均含有“首要的，主要的”之意。

chief指人时，表同类中职位最高，权力最大；指物时，表同类中最重要，价值最高。

principal用于人时，指地位优于其他人；用于物时，指该物在大小、重要性等方面优于他物。

main通常只用于物。指在一定范围内，某物的重要性、体积或力量等超过其它物。

major指同其他人或其它物、问题等相比较，显得更加重要和突出。

leading侧重指具有影响力或凝聚力。从而有主导和引导的作用。

capital着重指因重要性、意义、优越或重大而名列同类之首。

foremost侧重指在行进或发展过程中居首位。

primary通常不用于人。用于物时，指在重要性方面占第一位。

• ☆ 13世纪晚期进入英语，直接源自古法语的principal；最初源自拉丁语的principalis，意为主要的，占据主导的。