Principall: belonging to the first or chiefe. Ille nos principalibus rebus existimat dignos. Plin. iun. Tropus sermo naturali & principali significatione translatus ad aliam. Quin. A trope is a maner of speech transferred from the naturall and first signification. De cultura agri præcipere, principale fuit apud exteros. Pli. In forraine countreyes it was the part of noble men to teache and instruct men in husbandrie. Non principalibus causis & perfectis, sed adiuuantibus & proximis. Cic. Paratus principalis. Tac. Princely prouision.

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.