Word(s) of the Day: Principal v. Principle

principal /prìnsəpəl/, noun: 1. a head, ruler, or superior, “You can have great teachers, but if you don’t have a good principal, you won’t have a good school.” Eli Broad 2. a capital sum as distinguished from interest or income, 3. a person whom another acts as his agent, “To smile at the jest which plants a thorn in another’s breast is to become a principal in the mischief.” Richard Brinsley Sheridan adjective: first rank in importance, superior; the main or leading (cause). “The man who occupies the first place seldom plays the principal part.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe principle /prìnsəpəl/, noun: 1. a fundamental truth or law as the basis of reasoning or action, “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.“ John Quincy Adams 2. a personal code of conduct. “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” Thomas Jefferson