主

Core sense of primacy, ownership, or presiding authority. This range encompasses legal possession (owner, proprietor, head of household), political governance (sovereign, ruler), and functional hierarchy (the presiding or primary driver of a system, such as in medical or philosophical contexts).

Functions as a noun denoting a person in authority, or as an adjective/modifier meaning "principal," "main," or "chief."

[DISTINITIONS]

Frequently paired with 客 (kè) to distinguish between the internal, stable, or presiding force (主) and the external, transient, or visiting influence (客). When used as a modifier, it may be contrasted with terms of subordination such as 次 (cì, secondary) or 附 (fù, subsidiary). In contexts of absolute power, it may overlap with 專 (zhuān, sole/exclusive).

Depending on the period of the text, note the potential slippage between private authority (e.g., a landlord) and public authority (e.g., a head of state).