Principal lover cut knot occasionally (9)

I believe the answer is:

paramount

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'principal' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I can't explain the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for paramount that I've seen before include "Superior to all others" , "Supreme - Hollywood studio" , "outstanding" , "Of the greatest importance" , "Of overriding importance" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.