All 6 Uses of

principal
in
Fearless

Along with the rest of the school board, Larry Brown was seated on stage, taking turns presenting diplomas as principal Curtis Williams called out the graduates' names.†
p. 36.3

principal = most important; or person that is most important

"He grinned real big when he shook my hand," says Larry, "because he had just put one over on the principal by telling him his middle name was Leroy, not Lee."†
p. 36.8

As soon as Jeff and Adam entered the school, Principal Williams called them to his office, where two sheriff's deputies, who had responded to numerous complaints about the two punks pointing guns at people, waited.†
p. 245.9

"I know both their fathers," Principal Williams told the deputies, doing his best to keep the boys out of big trouble.†
p. 245.9

And they could still feel the sting on their rears as they endured Principal Williams's wooden paddle.†
p. 246.2 *

Definitions:

(1) (principal)
most important; or person who is most important
The exact meaning of principal can depend upon its context. For example:
- "the principal idea" or "the principal performer" -- the most important
- "the principal of the school" -- the person in charge
- "a principal of a company" -- an owner or person with controlling authority
- "the principal in a transaction" (as contrasted to the agent) -- the person on whose behalf an agent acts
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

See a comprehensive dictionary for specialized senses in finance, architecture, law, chemistry, and music.