Financial encyclopediaReviewed 2026-10-23

Principal

The total amount of money being borrowed or lent; the initial amount of money invested.

Sources and references ↗

PROFILE / FACT FILE

Concept at a glance

Term: Principal [1]
Subject area: Investor.gov glossary [1]
Jurisdiction / scope: US regulatory and investor-education context [1]
Primary reference: SEC · Investor.gov [1]

Definition and explanation

The total amount of money being borrowed or lent; the initial amount of money invested. [1]

Frequently asked questions

What does Principal mean in the cited reference?

The total amount of money being borrowed or lent; the initial amount of money invested. [1]

Sources and review dates

US SEC · Investor.gov — Principal ↗

Reviewed 23 October 2026. Historical dates and award-time affiliations retain their original context. A review date is not an event date. Background sources are identified separately from official records.

Content preparation: source-based compilation with AI assistance. See methods and attribution. Named sources identify the underlying records; no individual expert review is claimed.