LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

prīncipālis

prīncipālis (neuter prīncipāle)
Classical[priːŋ.kɪˈpaː.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[prin̠ʲ.t͡ʃiˈpaː.lis]

Meaning

  1. two terminationfirst, original
  2. two terminationchief, principal

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeprīncipālisprīncipālisprīncipāle
genitiveprīncipālisprīncipālisprīncipālis
dativeprīncipālīprīncipālīprīncipālī
accusativeprīncipālemprīncipālemprīncipāle
ablativeprīncipālīprīncipālīprīncipālī
vocativeprīncipālisprīncipālisprīncipāle
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeprīncipālēsprīncipālēsprīncipālia
genitiveprīncipāliumprīncipāliumprīncipālium
dativeprīncipālibusprīncipālibusprīncipālibus
accusativeprīncipālīs
prīncipālēs		prīncipālīs
prīncipālēs		prīncipālia
ablativeprīncipālibusprīncipālibusprīncipālibus
vocativeprīncipālēsprīncipālēsprīncipālia

princĭpālis, e, adj. princeps.
I. In gen., first, original, primitive (class.): causae, Cic. Fat. 5, 9: est igitur tropus sermo a naturali et principali significatione translatus ad aliam, Quint. 9, 1, 4: verba, Gell. 11, 15, 5.—
II. In partic.
A. In rank, first in rank, station, or esteem, chief, principal: viri, App. Flor. p. 363, 38.—Of things abstr. and concr.: pici principales in auguriis, Plin. 10, 18, 20, § 41: principalia in Arabiā tus, et myrrha, id. 12, 13, 30, § 51: principalia aquatilium, id. 31, 6, 38, § 72: causarum aliae sunt perfectae et principales, aliae adjuvantes et proximae, Cic. Fat. 18, 41: quaestio, Quint. 4, 4, 1: post haec duo principalia subjungebat illa non minus intuenda, after these two principal points, Col. 1, 3, 3: principali studio (i. e. praecipuo), Gell. 13, 10, 1: principalia verba, primitive, id. 11, 15, 5: de culturā agri praecipere, principale fuit et apud exteros, a principal thing, Plin. 18, 3, 5, § 22: principalis obligatio, res (opp. accessio), Gai. Inst. 3, 126.—Comp.: principalior, Tert. Anim. 43: principaliora quaeque, id. cont. Marc. 4, 36.—As subst.: princĭpālis, is, m.
a. The foremost, overseer, superintendent: officiorum, i. e. of attendants, Cod. Just. 9, 51, 1.—
b. The chief magistrate of a municipality, Symm. Ep. 9, 1; Dig. 48, 19, 27; Isid. Orig. 9, 4: principalis aut decurio, Cod. Just. 10, 31, 33; 10, 34, 2, § 1.—
c. An inferior officer, Dig. 49, 16, 13.—
2. Of or belonging to a prince or ruler, princely, imperial, the emperor's (post-Aug.): principalis quies, Vell. 2, 56, 3: fastigium, id. 1, 11, 6: opera, id. 2, 124, 3: curae, Plin. Pan. 79: copiae, id. ib. 82: apparatus arrogantiae principalis, id. ib. 76: beneficia, id. ib. 36: matrimonium, Tac. H. 1, 22: commentarii, id. ib. 4, 40: fortuna, id. ib. 2, 81: scortum, id. ib. 1, 13: majestas, Suet. Claud. 17: res, id. Calig. 39: bonum, Plin. 13, 3, 4, § 22: vox, Just. Inst. prooem. 3.—
B. Of or belonging to the principes, i. e. to the second line in the order of battle (post-class.), Cod. Th. 12, 1, 151; Veg. Mil. 2, 15, 1.—
2. Of or belonging to the principium in a camp: principalis castrorum porta nominatur, quod in eo loco est, in quo principes ordines tendunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 224 Müll.: manipulos legionum principali viā inducit, Liv. 10, 33: porta principalis dextra, id. 4, 19; cf. id. 40, 27. —Adv.: princĭpālĭter.
A. In gen., chiefly, principally (post-class.): plurimae bestiae, sed principaliter leones, Sol. 27: negotium gerere, Dig. 3, 2, 4.—
B. In partic., like a prince, imperially (post-Aug.): gaudere, Sen. Cons. ad Polyb. 36: mores juventutis quam principaliter formas! Plin. Pan. 47: institutae leges, Arn. 1, 2, 2: non principaliter, incidentally, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 12, 7, 5.

Origins

From prīnceps + -ālis.

Descendants
  • Catalanprincipal
  • Frenchprincipal
  • Italianprincipale
  • Occitanprincipal
  • Englishprincipalfrom Old French principal
  • Portugueseprincipal
  • Romanianprincipal
  • Spanishprincipalfrom Old Spanish principal
  • Asturianprincipal
  • Galicianprincipal

In English words that came into English from prīncipālis

  • principalprīncipālis
  • principalityprīncipālitās

Quick answers

What does prīncipālis mean in Latin?
prīncipālis, a adjective, means “first, original; chief, principal”.
How do you pronounce prīncipālis?
In classical Latin, [priːŋ.kɪˈpaː.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [prin̠ʲ.t͡ʃiˈpaː.lis].