Principal vs. Principle: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on January 19, 2024
Principal refers to the primary or most important person or thing, or the original sum of money lent or invested, whereas Principle refers to a fundamental truth, law, or standard of behavior.
Key Differences
The word 'Principal' often denotes the foremost entity in a certain context, such as the head of a school or the main party in a business transaction. It also refers to the original amount of a debt or investment, excluding profits or interest. 'Principle', on the other hand, signifies a foundational belief or standard that guides behavior or policy, embodying a basic truth or theory that forms the basis for a system of belief or behavior.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
In an educational setting, a Principal is the leader or the highest authority within a school, responsible for administration and policy enforcement. Conversely, Principle in the same context might refer to the fundamental doctrines or values upon which the educational system or curriculum is based, like the principle of equal opportunity in education.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
In finance, Principal refers to the initial sum of money lent or invested, before interest or earnings are calculated. In contrast, Principle in finance could refer to a basic rule or theory, such as the principle of risk and return, which posits that potential return rises with an increase in risk.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
When discussing roles in contracts or agreements, the Principal is the primary person involved or the main entity whose interests are represented, such as a client in relation to an agent. Principle in legal or ethical discussions represents the fundamental rule or doctrine, like the principle of fairness or justice.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
In summary, Principal typically refers to a primary person or sum of money, while Principle relates to a fundamental rule, theory, or standard. The usage of each word depends significantly on the context, be it educational, financial, legal, or ethical.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
Primary person or original sum of money
Fundamental truth or standard
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Context Usage
Educational leader, main party, original investment
Guiding belief, moral rule, basic theory
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
In Finance
Original amount of loan or investment
Basic rule or theory like risk and return
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
In Law and Ethics
Main person in legal agreements
Fundamental legal or ethical standard
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
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Principal and Principle Definitions
Principal
Principal as the head of a school.
The principal announced a new policy on school uniforms.
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Jan 08, 2024
Principle
Principle as a fundamental truth or law.
The principle of gravity explains why objects fall.
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Jan 08, 2024
Principal
Principal as the main party in a transaction.
The principal investor decided to increase her investment.
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Jan 08, 2024
Principle
Principle as a rule or belief governing behavior.
Honesty is a guiding principle in my life.
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Jan 08, 2024
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Principle
Principle as a standard or criterion.
The principle of fairness is important in justice.
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Jan 08, 2024
Principal
Of, relating to, or being financial principal, or a principal in a financial transaction.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
One who holds a position of presiding rank, especially the head of an elementary school, middle school, or high school.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A rule or standard, especially of good behavior
A man of principle.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
A main participant in a situation, especially a financial transaction.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
The collectivity of moral or ethical standards or judgments
A decision based on principle rather than expediency.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
A person having a leading or starring role in a performance, such as the first player in a section of an orchestra.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
An amount of capital originally borrowed or invested, as opposed to the interest paid or accruing on it.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A basic or essential quality or element determining intrinsic nature or characteristic behavior
The principle of self-preservation.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
The most significant part of an estate, as opposed to minor or incidental components.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A rule or law concerning the functioning of natural phenomena or mechanical processes
The principle of jet propulsion.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
(Chemistry) One of the elements that compose a substance, especially one that gives some special quality or effect.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
The person having prime responsibility for an obligation as distinguished from one who acts as surety or as an endorser.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.
We need some sort of principles to reason from.
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Jan 06, 2024
Principal
(Architecture) Either of a pair of inclined timbers forming the sides of a triangular truss for a pitched roof.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A rule used to choose among solutions to a problem.
The principle of least privilege holds that a process should only receive the permissions it needs.
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Jan 06, 2024
Principal
Primary; most important; first level in importance.
Smith is the principal architect of this design.
The principal cause of the failure was poor planning.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
Moral rule or aspect.
I don't doubt your principles.
You are clearly a person of principle.
It's the principle of the thing; I won't do business with someone I can't trust.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
(physics) A rule or law of nature, or the basic idea on how the laws of nature are applied.
Bernoulli's Principle
The Pauli Exclusion Principle prevents two fermions from occupying the same state.
The principle of the internal combustion engine
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Jan 06, 2024
Principal
(mathematics) Chosen or assumed among a branch of possible values of a multi-valued function so that the function is single-valued.
Two is the principal square root of 4. Both −2 and +2 are square roots of 4.
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Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A fundamental essence, particularly one producing a given quality.
Many believe that life is the result of some vital principle.
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Jan 06, 2024
Principal
The money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated.
A portion of your mortgage payment goes to reduce the principal, and the rest covers interest.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A source, or origin; that from which anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy; primordial substance; ultimate element, or cause.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
The chief executive and chief academic officer of a university or college.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
(legal) A legal person that authorizes another (the agent) to act on their behalf; or on whose behalf an agent or gestor in a negotiorum gestio acts.
When an attorney represents a client, the client is the principal who permits the attorney, the client′s agent, to act on the client′s behalf.
My principal sells metal shims.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
(transitive) To equip with principles; to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any tenet or rule of conduct.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A source, or origin; that from which anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy; primordial substance; ultimate element, or cause.
The soul of man is an active principle.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
The construction that gives shape and strength to a roof, generally a truss of timber or iron; or, loosely, the most important member of a piece of framing.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
An original faculty or endowment.
Nature in your principles hath set [benignity].
Those active principles whose direct and ultimate object is the communication either of enjoyment or suffering.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A fundamental truth; a comprehensive law or doctrine, from which others are derived, or on which others are founded; a general truth; an elementary proposition; a maxim; an axiom; a postulate.
Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection.
A good principle, not rightly understood, may prove as hurtful as a bad.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
One of the turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and tapers with which the posts and centre of a funeral hearse were formerly crowned
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A settled rule of action; a governing law of conduct; an opinion or belief which exercises a directing influence on the life and behavior; a rule (usually, a right rule) of conduct consistently directing one's actions; as, a person of no principle.
All kinds of dishonesty destroy our pretenses to an honest principle of mind.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
Any original inherent constituent which characterizes a substance, or gives it its essential properties, and which can usually be separated by analysis; - applied especially to drugs, plant extracts, etc.
Cathartine is the bitter, purgative principle of senna.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
A dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
To equip with principles; to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any tenet, or rule of conduct, good or ill.
Governors should be well principled.
Let an enthusiast be principled that he or his teacher is inspired.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct;
Their principles of composition characterized all their works
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Jan 06, 2024
Principal
Highest in rank, authority, character, importance, or degree; most considerable or important; chief; main; as, the principal officers of a Government; the principal men of a state; the principal productions of a country; the principal arguments in a case.
Wisdom is the principal thing.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A rule or standard especially of good behavior;
A man of principle
He will not violate his principles
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
A leader, chief, or head; one who takes the lead; one who acts independently, or who has controlling authority or influence; as, the principal of a faction, a school, a firm, etc.; - distinguished from a subordinate, abettor, auxiliary, or assistant.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
A rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system;
The principle of the conservation of mass
The principle of jet propulsion
The right-hand rule for inductive fields
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
The chief actor in a crime, or an abettor who is present at it, - as distinguished from an accessory.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
A thing of chief or prime importance; something fundamental or especially conspicuous.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
(law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature);
The rationale for capital punishment
The principles of internal-combustion engines
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
Principle as a theoretical basis of a system.
The principles of democracy are widely studied.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 08, 2024
Principal
The educator who has executive authority for a school;
She sent unruly pupils to see the principal
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principle
Principle in ethics, a fundamental moral rule.
The principle of respect for others guides our community.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 08, 2024
Principal
The major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account
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Jan 06, 2024
Principal
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
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 06, 2024
Principal
Principal as the original sum of money lent or invested.
The principal amount of the loan was $10,000.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 08, 2024
Principal
Principal as the foremost or most important.
The principal reason for the change was customer feedback.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 08, 2024
Principal
Principal in a legal context, the primary person involved.
The principal in the contract is responsible for compliance.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 08, 2024
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can Principle refer to a law of nature?
Yes, it can refer to fundamental laws like the principle of gravity.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
What does Principal mean in legal terms?
The main person involved in a legal agreement.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Can Principal refer to money in a savings account?
Yes, it refers to the original amount deposited.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
How is Principal used in finance?
Referring to the original sum of money lent or invested.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Are Principles universally accepted?
Some are, but others can vary by culture or individual belief.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Is a school Principal always an individual?
Yes, it refers to the person in charge of the school.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
How do Principles affect decision-making?
They guide behavior and choices based on fundamental beliefs.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
What is the role of a Principal in a company?
A primary person or entity involved in the company's operations.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Does Principal in finance accrue interest?
Interest accrues on the principal amount.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Are Principles always related to morality?
Often, but they can also refer to general truths or theories.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Can a Principle be proven wrong?
Yes, especially if it's a scientific principle based on new evidence.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Is a Principle always a positive standard?
Generally, but it depends on the context and perspective.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
How do you become a school Principal?
Through educational qualifications and leadership experience.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Can there be multiple Principals in a contract?
Yes, there can be more than one primary party involved.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
How do Principles influence culture?
They form the basis of societal norms and values.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Is the Principal of a bond the same as its value?
It's the original amount borrowed, not including interest.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Are Principles subjective or objective?
They can be both, depending on whether they are personal beliefs or universal truths.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
Do Principles change over time?
They can evolve, but often represent enduring truths or standards.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 19, 2024
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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