principis

Principis is a Latin form that is most often encountered as the genitive singular of the noun princeps, meaning “of the prince” or “of the chief.” The base noun princeps is a third-declension masculine word meaning a leader or foremost person, and it was used in Roman times to denote a magistrate, a leading member of the Senate, or, over time, the emperor’s self-designation as “first among equals.”

In usage, principis appears in phrases and inscriptions where possession or association is indicated. For example, domus principis would translate as “the house of the prince.” It also occurs in contexts that reference the status or property of a principal figure, such as villa principis or munus principis, where principis expresses a possessive relationship rather than functioning as a stand-alone noun.

Historical significance is tied to the role of princeps in Roman political structure. The title princeps emphasized leadership and primacy; in the later Principate, the emperor was commonly described in Latin as Princeps, with various formal expressions in which the genitive principis marks the emperor’s authority, property, or office in a given context.

In modern scholarship, principis is primarily encountered as a grammatical form within Latin texts rather than as an independent English term. It appears most readily in inscriptions, legal phrases, and translated passages where the possessive relationship to a principal figure is being conveyed. See also princeps, principium, principia.